Chapter Thirteen: The Jetset Life is Going to Kill You

Chapter title taken from the My Chemical Romance song.

"You remember me, mija?"

Very important chapter ahead! This is another Rosalind flashback, from her point of view.

I couldn't wait to leave once I was done with school. I no longer had friends and didn't like anyone I went to school with, which left me with no reason to stay. So when I applied and was contacted to head to El Salvador I jumped at the chance.

My parents were furious. They tried to tell me that it was a scam, that it was too dangerous, that I wasn't allowed to go. But I didn't listen. I needed to go and they didn't understand that. My mother was the most upset because the reason they fled to the United States was to escape that lifestyle, they didn't want that for Emma or myself. I didn't listen of course. I left against their wishes without saying goodbye.

We didn't have a name, emblem or insignia because we did not want to be recognized. We wanted to be known for our work instead. We had Recognition Charms placed on us so we could identify other members. A warm comforting feeling would come over us when whenever we met.

A week after graduation I Apparated from several Apparition Points to the capital, as instructed. I used to hate Apparating such long distances but I learned to be good at it. A tall, bronzed man with dazzling teeth and slicked hair greeted me. He was Jorge Sanabria, the man in charge.

"Rosalind Morana," he grinned, thrusting me into an awkward one-armed hug and kiss on my cheek, traditional Latino style. His Spanish accent was more pronounced than mine was.

"We are happy that you decided to join us." He spoke in a clear, authoritative voice that hinted he should not be tempered with. "You are the last to arrive. We are staying in a house at the end of this road. Stay quiet, and keep close." He looked around the block, as if we were being watched. Jorge snatched my wrist, forcing me to keep up with him.

The house was smaller than I expected. A garden was growing wildly in the front yard, the brick walls were withering away, eroding into the cement; there was a kitchen merged with a living and dining room, and a separate larger room with several beds. The walls looked like they had been painted over several times.

"There they are," Jorge smiles as several bodies waltz into the room. "This is Katerina, Ernesto, Francisco, and Evelyn. They are the only people you are allowed to give your identity to. No one can know who you are, where you are from, what you do, or who you work for. Understand?"

I nodded, Jorge's cheekbones raising in a mock smile. "Good. Rest up and get to know your family."

I smiled, dragging my belongings to the only other room in the house. The mattresses had numbers notched at the bedposts, and mine was the last at the far end. The young girl named Katerina waved at me and pulled me into a warm hug.

"I almost thought you weren't going to make it!" she squealed. She looked younger than I did, with a round, chubby face, orb-like hazel eyes and dusty brown hair. She was smaller than me in every way imaginable but had an impossibly welcoming smile.

"Well here I am," I said lamely.

Katerina's smile didn't move. "I'm so glad to have you here, you're the closest to me in age," she spoke at one hundred miles per hour, all in one breath. "I'm fifteen, you're not that much older than me right? No one likes to hang out with me much, they think I'm a little kid." She scrunched her nose, eyes almost crossing.

I was taken aback, astonished that she was so young. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Katerina shook her head. "Nope, I have no one to take care of me. Jorge took me in after my parents disappeared, I'm not sure what happened to them. He's always moving around so he home schools me. Nice of him huh?†Hey eyes bulged whenever she asked a question.

"Yeah, real nice of him," I said.

"Hola." The body named Ernesto extended his hand for me to shake. "I heard we're partners."

"Partners? As in the buddy system?" I said with a stiff laugh.

Ernesto smiled. "No, partners as in we have each other's back when shit goes down."

"I didn't realize it was going to be that kind of party,â" I grin awkwardly, slightly confused. I was never really briefed on what my role would be.

I set my belongings on my bed, unpacking as Katerina began to fill me in on everything. She quickly became my favorite. She felt like a little sister I could mentor, and was quite adept at magic. She was the baby of the crew, not allowed on ventures but the first to help when we came home, healing us.

I tossed and turned for hours the first night, my heart pounding. El Salvador was more humid than I imagined, and the sounds were much different. Sleep felt impossible.

A rattling crept through the walls, slithering into the room. My eyes snapped open: I could only see darkness. I looked around slowly but no one else seemed to have heard anything. A dark creature emerged from under one of the beds, an inch thick cloak hid what looked like a decrepit, death-like face: I could see a decaying hole for a mouth, sucking the life out of the room.

My back twinged as I grabbed my wand. The creature glided closer to me, to rid me of my memories.

"Stupefy!"

The red jet of light ricoched off the dark being, almost hitting me in the face. Was this a Dementor? I had never seen one before but this felt much more sinister. I shot more spells at it, frustrated that nothing worked and no one was waking up. How the hell were they sleeping through all of this?

"Expec-Expecto Patronum!"

A small silver jet sprouted from my wand, flailing to the ground. My mind was racing-I thought I saw the creature recoil in fear, but my memory didn't work. I thought that when my parents told me I was going to be a big sister was the best memory of my life. As much as I tried, every Patronus I sent withered in seconds.

Then I thought of Him and the last time I saw him and knew that was what it was. That was the most powerful memory of my life.

The creature started to remove its hood with rotting hands, revealing an eyeless face. Its toothless mouth opened, in attempt to suck out my soul.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A silver snake erupted from my wand, attacking the dark creature. Its body snapped at the creature, fangs tearing the rotten flesh apart, eventually swallowing it whole.

A slow clap interrupted my thoughts. Jorge was standing at the doorway, hair still slicked back, wearing a nightgown. "Not bad, Morana," he droned halfway impressed. "Was that your first encounter with a lethifold?"

"A-a what?" I asked confused. "That was a lethifold? I thought that was a Dementor!"

He grinned, taking a few steps towards me. "Yes, they are quite similar. No one knows their exact origins, except that they are amortal." He gazed at my black mamba, who was slowly fading into nothingness. "Have you conjured a full corporal Patronus before?"

"No," I said honestly, face flushing.

"Hmm," he sniffed, raising his brow. "I think you'll do just fine here."

We weren't necessarily cops because we didn't work exclusively with law enforcement. They were too corrupt, bribed and bought out like the ones in South America. We had a large network of informants, from legitimate police officers, to attorneys, doctors, politicians, and the average person looking to fight for the cause. They would research rumors before sending us the information. If we were able to return a kidnapped adult or child, we would. If we were able to negotiate to spare a life, we would. Most of us had different roles and I soon learned what I was best at. Ernesto and I made a good team, and we often posed as siblings or cousins.

Gang activity was one of our biggest problems. Wizards and Muggles lived somewhat in chaotic harmony, it was known that magic was around but it was mostly kept as a rumor-there was an unwritten agreement that magic would be kept minimal when large populations of Muggles were around. The Statute of Secrecy wasn't enforced, much like the majority of laws.

It was gut-wrenching witnessing human rights violations first hand. What was just as difficult was vetting informants and their tips. Everyone has a price, and money can buy just about anyone. I became accustomed to the smell of rotting flesh; we had to burn bodies so Dark Wizards couldn't turn them into Inferi.

"What do you want to do once you get out of here Rosa Linda?" Katerina had asked me. She called me Rosa Linda because she thought I was pretty as a flower but thorny like a rose.

I shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I don't think about it much. What about you?"

She scrunched half her face, thinking hard. "I don't think I can ever leave actually. I don't think Jorge would like that. He's raised me for so long I'll probably always stay with him." She looked crestfallen. "But you'll do great, I bet you'll have a government job!"

I laughed. "I wish. I've always wanted to work for the FBI. Maybe I can work undercover for them."

Katerina shook her head excitedly like a bobble head. "They'd be crazy not to consider you! You're so smart and don't ever crack under pressure, even when your life is on the line! I wish I was as fearless as you."

I felt an odd pang in my chest. "I'm not fearless, Katerina. I'm scared of a lot of things. You don't want to end up like me."

She shrugged. "Well I do. I'm going to be really sad when you leave. How long do you think you'll stay here?"

"I'm not sure. Once the Dark Lord is defeated hopefully. I do miss my family," I said in a lowered voice. I hadn't owled them in quite some time.

"Promise you'll write to me all the time?" she pleaded.

I smiled. "Of course. You're my favorite."

She gave me a big hug before turning off the light. "I know. You're my favorite too."

The earth shattered, shaking specks of dirt onto our faces. I awoke with a start, checking my surroundings but no one else felt it. I heard a faint voice in the distance, whispering inaudible words; a light was flickering closer and closer.

"Katerina!" I whispered to my bed mate. "Can you hear that?"

Her large eyes opened widely, still groggy. "Is someone coming for us?"

We listened harder, pressing our ears against the wall. We weren't expecting visitors, especially at two in the morning.

"Ernesto!" I hissed. "Something is wrong I think we're being-"

A bang came through the other side of the wall, rubble smashing whatever was in its path. Jorge and the others jolted awake, completely unaware of what was happening, shooting spells left and right. I immediately grabbed Katerina, instructing her to take shelter.

A large group of filthy men covered in street tattoos and wife beaters were standing at the hole made by the blast. About half had wands, the other half machetes and other crude weapons. They were destroying our kitchen, dragging our girls by the hair, dueling our boys. I protected myself with a Shield Charm and started firing back spell after spell; our group wasn't holding up well due to the surprise. I battled with a burly gang member for several minutes when I heard a familiar scream behind me.

"Rosie!" Katerina was being held by the throat, a sharp knife held next to it. "Rosie Linda! Help me!" Her eyes were red with tears, head glistening in sweat and blood. One of the men had her wand.

I shot a Cruciatis Curse at her attacker without thinking and watched him convulse in pain on the floor. Another one of his henchman attempted to strike Katerina with a machete but I was too quick for him, slashing him in the face wordlessly, burning his face with an Acid Jinx. I grabbed a rod and smashed one of the men in the face, taking Katerina's wand back. I saw her attacker beginning to breathe on the floor and shot him another curse.

"Incendio lasso!"

A whip of fire erupted from my wand, lashing itself around his neck in a ring of burning flame. I watched in glee as he screamed in pain, throat burning, his hands clutching at the lasso of fire. I whipped my wand vertically, turning it into a noose and left him hanging until he took his last breath. That curse became my trademark. I liked watching people look defenseless. I laughed, enthralled, proud of my work.

"Rosie-!"

But I had missed one: he slashed Katerina's throat right before my eyes, before I could save her. I was too busy basking in my glory to realize she was still in danger. I watched as her tiny body thumped to the floor, head smashing against the concrete, her beautiful face drenched in her own blood, her last words forever etched into my ears.

I asked Jorge to let me bury Katerina. I couldn't bear burn her body, not the way that she had died. It was my fault she was gone and the guilt was making me sick. I grabbed a shovel and began digging a grave and carved a headstone, making sure to lay a bouquet of roses when I was finished. I took my time, making sure every tear that was pouring from my eyes was not wasted.

Guilt was not the word I would've used to describe what I felt at that time. Shame, sadness, anger-it was my fault that Katerina had died so violently. If I wasn't so self absorbed then I could have saved her. If I wasn't so selfish she would still be alive, with her goofy happy smile. I remember sitting out in the backyard, digging deeper and deeper for a proper grave. But it seemed that no matter what I did the pain wouldn't go away. If anything it was accentuated. After several hours I finally laid her down to rest, in front of a small headstone that read Here Lies Katerina, sister and friend. I closed her eyes and buried her with her wand, and casted protective spells to ensure she rested in peace.

My remaining time in El Salvador was a blur. I don't remember much of what happened, or what I did. We had to change safe houses to Sonsonate, being more careful of the Secret Keeper we chose. In my year there I grew up more rapidly than I imagined, having witnessed and committed atrocities I will never come to terms with.

For the last time, I enjoyed the tropical downpour of my parents' home country. The moist earth, the green landscape, the scent of the rainforest, the flowing rivers,this was home for the last year. I said my goodbyes and informed my parents of my arrival. With the Dark Lord gone, there was no reason for me to stay any longer. His followers will disband or die out, or spend the rest of their lives in prison. For the first time in years, I felt at peace. Anguished, but at peace.

Clothes drenched with the earth's tears, I held my breath for the journey ahead. With a faint pop, the dirt shifts beneath my feet and is replaced with carpet, and the scurrying of a tiny body underneath a bed.

The tiny human peeks from the covers, staring with identical features to mine: the caramel colored brown skin, the curly hair, the curious almond shaped eyes.

"Sissy?"

September 11, 2001. United States

With the American flag perched somberly in the background, the President of the United States began his address to the nation: how our freedom came under attack in a "series of deliberate" terrorist acts, how the tallest buildings in the world had been destroyed, and several lives were lost and irrevocably broken. It was a slow, odd day, seeing those Muggle planes crash, watching the nation and New York City erupt in chaos, the murmurs of rumors of who or what could have been involved.

"What's happening?" My sister Emma had asked.

"Bad people caused that," our mother responded, patting her on the head.

"Are the bad people going to do that to us too?"

"Of course not," she said as my sister crawled into her lap. "They weren't after us."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked curiously.

"I'm sure," she smiled as my sister tightened her grip on our mother.

I looked at my parents, the three of us with the same thought. Did wizards cause this?

There have been lowly rumors for years that the Muggle politicians aren't all Muggles-they have magical blood and use it to swing votes in their favor, or in some cases events-for political gain. It has quietly happened for centuries, dodging the Statute of Secrecy through loopholes and by not exposing themselves directly or using magic in front of Muggles.

"These deliberate terrorists attacks...is this a Muggle war coming on?" I asked my parents once Emma had fallen asleep.

They glanced each other, my father taking off his glasses slowly, wiping them on his shirt, finally sighing. "I think there is a lot this supposed Muggle government knows that they do not let on about."

"Hmmph." I nod, knowing he's right. The quiet interception wizards and Muggles have here has been going on since the Revolutionary War, never quite ceasing. Why would it? Wizards here have access to technology, even something called the Internet and computers, making it easier for wizards to connect with people they'd normally not have a chance of meeting. The world is becoming smaller. The wealthier are becoming more powerful. Whatever it is that's going on, it's not just a Muggle or wizard thing. It's much bigger.

November 15, 2001

I woke up gasping for air, immediately looking to my right to make sure Emma was alright. She lay there soundly sleeping, a tiny pool of drool on her pillow.

I hear a faint voice, causing my heart to thud against my chest. I make my way silently to the living room, two mounds in the dark scurrying to my parents' room door.

A flash of red light, two thuds to the floor. They didn’t even have time to scream, their wands still in their pockets, unused. Their eyes were open, shocked from fear. My parents had no chance to defend themselves in their final moments.

My head snaps to our intruders, two men with thick gang tattoos, shaved heads, and creepy mustaches. One gives me a malicious grin.

"You remember me, mija?" he asked, machete in hand, taking a step closer to me. "You killed some of our friends."

I take a step back, trying to remember his face but I can't. "What do you want?" My hands tremble, voice shaky. "How did you get here?"

"We've got eyes and ears everywhere," he continues to grin. "We know what everyone is up to."

"Get the fuck out of here," I say with hot tears streaming down my cheeks, wand in hand.

He widens his grin, inches from my face. "Make me." Blood splatters onto our sides, his partner beginning to dismember my parents' bodies.

"Crucio!"

His body convulsed on the floor, writhing in pain. I Silence him, annoyed with his shrieking. A heavy blow cracks against my ribs; I spun around to clock the Muggle with my fists, disarming him. The machete lands feet from us becoming fair game.

"Petrificus totalis!" I yell before he can reach for it, shooting more Crucatis Curses at them. I tackle the Muggle, throwing punch after punch at his face, breaking his nose and shattering his cheekbone. He begins to cough blood, smearing into his eyes. I wrap my hands around his neck, watching his eyes panic and heart beat faster in panic, feeling the euphoria of revenge as his arms drop to his side.

The other man begins to stir, machete in hand, throwing it at me, barely missing my face.

"Incendio lasso!"

A jet of flame shoots from my wand, strangling his neck, burning his body to cinders. I jerked my wand, making sure he was feeling as much pain as possible, making sure that he was regretting what he just did, his body floating in mid air until it ceased breathing before dropping to the floor.

I ravish in my glory for a fraction of a second, an unnerving wave of glee forcing a smile on my face before I see my parents' bodies on the floor. I let out an uncontrollable wail, sobbing in my mother's nightgown. These hits weren't meant for them-they were meant for me.

A sniffle behind me startles me, by the bathroom door. There sat my sister Emma, completely wide-eyed in horror, who had seen everything I had done.

So now you know why Rosalind won't talk about her past! This is one of the turning points in her life where she realizes the consequences of her actions. As our story progresses we will see more of how her past has molded her to the person she is today. The next chapter we will see a lot of Draco and George interaction :)

Next chapter: The Carpal Tunnel of Love.