Life 58: Strange Tidings

2013

That was the year I was now stuck in, America, once again.

Arcadia Bay, Oregon.

Old fishing town, mostly dried up with most of their youth not respecting its history, or leaving the town all together.

The town didn't really operate like most from what I've seen so far, as while Mayor Jonathan Cochran was currently leading the town, reelection was on the rise, and things just seemed to be getting worse as the days went by.

Didn't help that he was even worse than Fudge, and that seemed impossible all together.

But this town was something else…

As I observed more of the town, I was almost seeing reflections of my first life, and it almost seemed like I was seeing… things that shouldn't be there.

I kept getting… glimpses, visions, of that lighthouse, of storms, and of ice and fire.

I'm seeing omens everywhere, and I swear I can smell blood and brimstone when I wake up.

I had a feeling, and my feelings aren't often good.

I think I'm going to die, again, even though it's only my second day here...

Nathan Prescott was an interesting person.

I had kidnapped him yesterday, and was currently keeping him sedated with the Draught of Living Death, hidden inside an abandoned railway station that I'd found when exploring the countryside outside Arcadia Bay.

Unlike most of my lives, I fortunately had Magic, but the Wizarding World was… different.

Hogwarts didn't exist, which didn't surprise me too much (It had only existed in two of my lives), but some of it's people did.

Albus Dumbledore was an aged, but wise lawyer in this world, but oddly enough, still magical.

Apparently Magicals were almost tribal in this world, preferring small communities and Covens over civilization.

There was a Wizarding people, but not a world.

After finding Albus, I'd dug up some information on the man and the Magical world.

Apparently the Tale of the Brothers still existed, and the Hunt for the Deathly Hallows was still a thing for Magicals. Lucky me.

Acknowledging the fact that the world was far different from how I knew it, and I couldn't find a trace of Hermione Granger anywhere… I said fuck it, opened up to Dumbledore and admitted that I was the Master of Death.

He took it surprisingly well, but not so much when I mentioned that I didn't have the Hallows and that I was basically in a never ending cycle of lives, all more challenging than the last.

I told him this was life fifty-eight for me, and how I was two-thousand and twenty-eight years old... and eight months.

That threw him for a leap.

Not so much Next Great Adventure, more Not This Again.

To his credit, he shrugged it off surprisingly quick, and asked me how he could help me.

I had needed a wand and gold, and seeing as America's magical peoples had been eradicated, I needed him, as he would know Europe, hopefully.

In a complete reverse of what I'd expected of Dumbledore, any Dumbledore, he just scoffed at me and asked why I hadn't stolen myself a wand.

I admit, I almost had an aneurysm at the wrongness of the ever polite Headmaster telling me so casually to steal, but I had to remember that this was a very different world, and a very different Dumbledore.

He told me of how the Magical World had been divided since the 1200's, and had never united since then, separating into tribes.

The Solgon Tribe held a monopoly on wandworking in this world, being the only tribe with wandlore, and demanded literal goldmines for a single wand.

So, Dumbledore and I portkeyed to Germany, apparated into one of their camps at midnight, stole ourselves over thirty wands, and then set the camp ablaze.

I admit, I was starting to love Albus the Renegade, as he was known in this world.

He was a badass.

The fact that we split the wands and the profits didn't hurt.

To my surprise, however, we found my wand.

Not the Elder Wand, the useless stick that I had held for ten minutes in my first life, and never seen again.

MY wand, Holly and Phoenix Feather. Twelve Inches.

I thought I would never see it again, but there it was, blazing with warmth in my hand, almost singing to me with affection and love, almost like it remembered me.

I will admit, I almost cried when I felt that.

I hadn't had anything from my first life in years, not even an Owl, for I dreaded to even be reminded of all I'd lost with my damned Immortality.

Not that any owl was as intelligent as Hedwig was…

After Dumbledore and I had finished our business, he pointed me to a tribe of creatures that he had said were Harbingers of Hell, and the most vile beings he had ever known.

He said they were hidden in a Valley of Death, beneath the Sands of the Long Forgotten, locked away since the medieval ages by a terrible curse.

Of course, the Goblins were living in Nevada...

Dumbledore was always dramatic, that never changed thankfully.

I had smiled when he told me that, as I knew stealing from them would be easy, much easier than the first time.

"A race of Goblins that were completely isolated and hadn't interacted with Wizards since 1389? Easy pickings for me."

With my wand and spells, which I discovered didn't exist in this world, I just walked through the Goblin stronghold, which was a cave rather than a Bank. Not nearly as impressive, if I might say so.

I had cut down a Goblin that I recognized as Griphook almost immediately, and proceeded to sidestep their blades, AKs flying from my lips faster than they could run.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore's knowledge was out of touch, as the Goblins had stagnated without the Magical People, resulting in only this stronghold and only a single vault's worth of gold.

I took it all.

After all the shit I put up with as Harry Potter, and as Trelius, I had no mercy for the little bastards.

I grinned as I put down Ragnok, the supposed leader of the Goblins.

He sat in his little room hiding as I butchered his people.

"What a cowardly little wretch."

I didn't really know what to think anymore.

I'd been calm and even enjoying falling back into the instincts of my past lives, handling things that I knew how to handle, and even just getting to know the man that I had once considered a valued friend and mentor once again.

But… This was impossible, even for Magic.

It was snowing in Autumn...

It had started the night before, and had continued into early morning, and it still wasn't over.

We were snowed in, and it was affecting everyone on the campus, as both dormitories were isolated from the rest of the campus entirely, and everyone was getting a bit stir crazy.

I, a person that could apparate at will, and a whole lot more, wasn't worried in the slightest.

Shrugging in exhaustion, I headed to the shower room for the morning, still pleased by the turn of events in this world.

I always loved being female, the few times that I was, as it opened so, so many doors for my desire.

"I'm still a man at heart, so what? Sue me."

But man… were Max's friends annoying as hell.

That Warren guy wouldn't stop texting me the entire night and morning, asking how I was, whining that I hadn't met up with him yesterday (I'm supposed to do that?) and something about a flashdrive and apes.

Remembering that some cheerleader or something chick had it, no way was I going through the effort of getting it back.

I've been living eventful and important lives for the last fifty-seven lives, no way was I giving some guy my time, when all he was talking about was movies and… honestly I tuned him out after some time.

And no way was I involving myself in a bunch of teenage drama. Been there, done that, killed the dark lord.

Not fun, any time, any life.

I had more important things to do, like enjoy a hot shower.

That was very important.

"Hey Kate, are you okay?" I asked softly, as I walked up to the quiet girl, her gaze locked on herself in the mirror as I walked into the bathroom.

She didn't seem to notice me then, only staring at herself, until I stepped closer to her.

"I'm here. I've not been okay in a while Max. Not that you've bothered to ask…" Kate said in a way that seemed both sad and morose, but also angry and hurt. I felt something ache within me at her voice, as it brought back so many memories that I had suppressed, oh so long ago.

I knew pain, very well, and she smelt of vanilla and aged parchment...

I brushed a hand through my hair, which I'd cut to a shorter length than it had been, as I took a breath.

I still wasn't good with sad girls, it was why I ignored so many. God knows sadness had cut me in half much too often.

"Kate, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be your friend, and I've not been a very good one lately. I want to help." I said with conviction in my voice, as I put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

She shook at my touch, almost like I used to do as Harry.

I knew from Max's memories Kate wasn't abused, so I could only assume it was from what had happened…

The video, and all that had happened after that.

Kate Marsh had been drugged, that much was obvious from watching the video.

Shy church girl suddenly makes a video of her servicing strange men in public? Not a chance, unless someone used an Imperius, and I already checked, that spell didn't exist in this world.

I've technically invented it, and I can barely cast it. No worries from that end.

"Unless you can erase the memories of everyone in town, and erase the… video, from everyone, then no… You can't help me Max." Kate said with a cold strength to her voice, as she seemed to almost have a transformation as she turned to me. "By the way Max, do you still have my copy of "The October Country?"

The sudden change of conversation threw me for a spin, before I bounced back as I remembered the book that Max had borrowed from her, for some arty reason that I didn't really understand.

"Of course Kate, it's been great. Do you want it back?" I asked warmly, as I tried to help her in the only way I really could, besides well… My eyes flickered for a second, as I remembered the Lighthouse, the way my vision had burned as I turned back time…

"There's no way that I could go back so far… But maybe…"

Shaking the thought from my head, as I wouldn't know what to do if I even was able to go back, I just turned back to Kate.

"If you could Max. Can you please bring it back to my room this morning? I just need to take some notes." She asked of me in a low voice, almost as if she felt bad for asking for her own book back.

"Baby girl..."

"Of course Kate, it's your book after all." I said with a genuine smile, as I noticed from her face that she felt a little bit better by my being here, even if only a little.

"Guess I'll have to keep bothering her..."

As if noticing that I'd brought my shower supplies for the first time, Kate stiffened. "I see you're busy, I'll just leave…" She said quickly, almost making to leave before I stopped her.

"It's okay Kate, I'm just taking a quick shower. If you'll wait, we can go grab your book and… I don't know, hang out? Like we used to?" I asked her with a warm look, before heading to the nearest shower staff.

Kate looked like she wanted to argue with me, but she almost seemed to remember that we were trapped (Well, she was), so she just nodded as she stood aside obediently.

I had to fix that.

I placed my clothes down, different ones from the hipster fashion that Max wore, and much nicer and darker.

Just like I liked my clothes.

With no shame, I stripped down and began to shower with a hidden and lewd smirk.

I could almost feel Kate's eyes burning on my back.

"Step one is complete." I thought to myself with pride, as I focused on cleaning my newly dyed hair out. Three more steps to go.

I was determined to make Kate's life wonderful after all I had heard of her, and from Max's memories, and I knew she was totally my type.

But, something kept bothering me…

Last night had been… weird.

I had blacked out right after getting back to Arcadia Bay, collapsing by the docks…

I had apparated as soon as I woke up, but this entire mess was screwing with me.

The dreams, the time travel, the… fucking snowstorm in Autumn…

This place, Arcadia Bay, had something to it, some kind of… energy, and it wasn't good.

The place was almost alive, and it was screaming in rage.

I was trying to remember what had happened, when I heard the bathroom door bang open.

"What's up, Kate?" The annoying bitchy voice I now knew as Victoria Chase said mockingly, as she apparently entered the bathroom. I heard other footsteps with her pair, so she's probably got her whore squad with her.

I could almost hear Kate's fear and anger bubble inside her, as she turned away from the new entries to the bathroom.

"School." She muttered out as she tried to meet Victoria's eyes, but couldn't.

I doubted that Victoria even knew I was in here, but I had focused my magic once more on my eyes, casting another Clear Sight spell.

Yep, the Queen Bitch herself had invaded our humble bathroom, and was gearing up to hurt the girl that I had declared was now my friend.

It certainly didn't hurt that Kate was adorable.

I could hear another girl laugh, some blonde girl with pigtails, Taylor or something like that. I honestly didn't care enough to know her name.

"That's it?"

"That video of you clubbing didn't look like homework…" Victoria said snidely, as she walked closer to Kate, getting up in her face as she tormented her.

Kate just looked away from the bully, as she pleaded her innocence as well as she could, her eyes tearing up.

"Victoria, that wasn't me…"

Her eyes were now even more sad and distressed than they were when I walked in.

They almost made me want to cry, and I hate crying...

"Don't be shy. I think it's awesome you set a tongue record on video…" Victoria mocked her, letting out the most annoying ass laugh I had ever heard, followed by her friends.

Pansy Parkinson had nothing on this bitch.

"You're going to be sorry someday." Kate responded, a fire in her voice that I, nor Max, had ever heard before.

While I was proud of her for standing up for herself, I knew I couldn't let Victoria or her little whores do this.

Stopping the water, and locking the bathroom door with a swipe of my left hand, I stepped out of the shower with all the power and strength of a raging Hungarian Horntail.

Well, one trapped in a nubile eighteen year old girl's naked body.

"She's going to be sorry today." I threatened, as I channeled just the slightest bit of magic into my voice, producing a tense and intimidating tone.

At least I hoped so.

Victoria didn't seem to understand the serious danger she was in, as despite my physical weakness, I had over two-thousand years of Magical Experience.

All it took was choosing a spell.

This stupid muggle bitch laughed at me.

I was thinking about Reducto...

"Wow Max, forget your clothes this morning?" Victoria mocked as she began searching her pockets for her cellphone, likely to take a picture of myself.

I had forgotten I was naked, but whatever.

I send an electric pulse through her phone, frying it from the inside, just for good measure.

"Wow Victoria, forgot your teeth this morning?" I asked in the same tone of voice, as I stepped closer to the girl, channeling my magic in the way Dumbledore had shown me.

Breath in, focus, breath out, focus.

Victoria almost looked confused by me then, before that shit eating grin came back.

However, I didn't let the bitch say a word, as I was good and charged.

With a speed that no regular human could achieve, I punched the bitch in the face, sending at least nine teeth flying in a cloud of blood.

"Boom, head shot."

Everyone but me in the room froze in shock, as Victoria dropped like a rock, knocked out by a single punch.

"What a little bitch…" I said with way too much enjoyment, as I remembered that she had brought her friends with her.

"You two, you're no longer friends with this whore. I will personally pay you to ignore everything that happened here, and her." I said with steel in my voice, as I walked to my stuff and pulled a stack of fifty dollar bills out for the both of them.

"Nothing gets spoken of in here, and if anyone asks why you two aren't hanging out with Queen Bitch over here, you say she isn't as cool as she thinks, and you noticed that. Okay?" I asked them both, as I held out the ill gotten gains to them both. They merely nodded in shock, before both took the money.

Before they could touch the door however, I walked right up behind them, and said in the most understandable and calm way I could.

"And if you ever mess with Kate again, I'll break both your legs and leave you in the woods for the wolves. Understand girls?" I demanded of them, as I placed a strong hand on the backs of both their necks, pressing my nails into their flesh.

They shook with fright, before blabbering all sorts of nonsense, but generally agreeing.

I let them go, unlocking the door in the process, and the girls were nearly falling over each other to escape, leaving their former leader behind.

I figured that after I left Kate, I would just obliviate the two, but enforce mental conditioning to do what I had demanded.

Also, I'd get my cash back.

There needed to be a reason why they would abandon their friend, and stop hurting her, so… I'd gladly be that reason.

That done with, I kicked Victoria's body as I walked back over to my stuff, grabbing my fresh clothes as I focused on dressing.

I've given more people an eyeful that I would normally like, even if it helped unnerve them.

I was also cold and wet.

Kate was shocked, as she stared at me like she couldn't believe that I was real. I assumed that she thought no one would ever stand up to Victoria, especially quirky little 'Mad' Max Caulfield.

The mad is way too fitting, as I wasn't completely sane.

Over two-thousand years, you get a bit… loopy.

Her eyes shot back and forth between Victoria's bleeding and still unconscious body, and mine.

I did take notice of how often Kate's eyes rested on me.

For a Christian girl, she was totally checking me out.

"Max… What did you do?" She asked me, out of breath and still in shock, as I finished pulling on my new black coat, a triangular pin attached to the lapel of it.

It was the closest thing I could find to the Hallows in the shopping mall, and while I had hated Death for a long time, and had never actually gotten to use the Hallows again, I still liked the symbol.

"I did what should have been done a long time ago Kate." I said with a strong smile as I took her hand in mine."You didn't deserve any of this Kate, and what kind of friend would just let her keep making your life Hell? I said I was going to be a better friend, I meant that."

She just stared at me, incredibility still in her eyes, before something seemed to shine in there for a second before vanishing.

"Now, let's go get your book, and maybe have a tea party? Like we used to?"

Kate shook off the shock then, before smiling a real smile at me, looking the best she had in weeks, despite the tears brimming in her eyes and the messed up hair.

"Yeah, she's definitely my type."

"I'd love that Max."

After spending the day with Kate, who I officially decided was my favorite person ever, I teleported back to the Railroad station at midnight.

I had decided to dub it the Rapture Station, in honor of my once brother, and that was where I decided to base my operations in the town.

I had already hid it under the Fidelius, and had stored all of my gold in a storeroom, and already set up a makeshift prison inside the construction room that was under the station.

It almost seemed like the town had wanted to build an underground railroad at some point, as there was a tunnel down below that went into exposed ground.

Arcadia Bay is a very lazy town, but that worked to my advantage, as I had a perfect place to conduct business… and keep any possible slaves I take on, such as young Nathan Prescott.

Who I woke up.

"You crazy bitch! Where the hell am I?!" Nathan screamed at me, his face red with rage as he struggled against the binds that held him to the stone chair. (I was still wondering why there was a stone chair down here, but hey, it was effective.)

We were seated in my new interrogation room, which was directly under the rails in the unfinished tunnel, and I wanted some answers from the punk before I go about fixing him.

"What. Happened. To. Kate. Marsh?" I asked slowly and carefully, as I twirled my wand in my hands, which he almost seemed to recognize for a second.

If he knew it was a wand, he didn't say anything.

"I didn't do a thing! Why do you care, huh? You a dyke?!" He screamed at me, as he tried to struggle free again only to fail miserably.

Enchanted ropes, wonderful things.

I just nodded then, as I reached within my pocket for a vial that hadn't been easy to get. I had to teleport all the way to bumblefuck Italy for it.

Veritaserum, pure and undiluted.

One-hundred percent, real and true Truth Serum.

I held it up to the light, inspecting it, before holding it before him to see.

"Do you know what this is Nathan?" I asked him, keeping my eyes trained on his, which were now narrowing in what may be fear.

My guess, he's scared of the new Max Caulfield.

I do admit, I am scarier than a young pacifistic girl.

"Oh, if only Gangis could see me now…"

"You gonna drug me bitch?"

"Not exactly. This, is called Veritaserum. It's a truth serum." I said honestly, as I set it on the table nonchalantly. "A few drops of this on your tongue, and you'll tell me anything I want to know.. A few more than that, you'll be my best friend. A bit more, my slave. The entire bottle, and you'll beg for death."

I said this all as if I was just discussing the weather.

Nathan immediately froze, even if he thought I was crazy.

He wasn't an idiot, and definitely didn't want truth serum anywhere near him.

Even possible truth serum.

"Now that you're calm, I'll ask you again. What, happened to Kate Marsh? Lie to me, and you'll get the bottle." I threatened him, holding the bottle up once more to reinforce the threat.

Nathan stared me down for a second, before all of the macho melted away like water from ice.

"I… I can't… He'll… he'll kill me!" Nathan freaked the fuck out, almost sobbing as he collapsed in his seat.

I may have cast a compulsion charm to confess on the boy, but he still shouldn't have reacted like that.

Man, this kid was really fucking guilty... or screwed up.

"Who is HE, Nathan?" I asked him, standing from my seat as I paced the room, my black witch's robe flowing around me. I figured that going traditional would enforce the whole 'truth serum' thing, and make him believe me.

"I truly am a wicked witch, but not of the west."

"I can't! He told me if I… If I…"

Nathan froze then, as if he heard something that scared the crap out of him.

Then he began to shake uncontrollably, pulsating violently and horribly before I stunned him.

"The kid is prone to seizures, good to know…"

I stood resigned then, as I proceeded to pour another dose of Draught of Death into his mouth before levitating him back into the glass coffin I had set up in the corner of the tunnel.

"What? I'm a fun of the classics!"

Leaving the brat there, protected and in stasis once more, I began to put my potions back into the lock box by the tunnel's stairs, and made my way up and out of the station.

For the best protection, I had warded the place against teleportation of any kind, including mine, so I actually had to leave.

Content with the fact that Nathan did know something about Kate, I decided that I needed to prevent Nathan from seizuring if I wanted to get answers out of him.

Veritaserum might just kill the kid, so I needed his meds.

It was now time to break into his house.

Maybe kill his father while I'm at it.

"We'll see how it goes, you know?"

I'm breaking all kinds of laws today.

While 'Max' was planning a break in to the manor of the most prestigious and paranoid family in the entire town, a young woman was seated inside of an old diner, wondering what she was going to do.

She was going through withdrawal, she was in way too much debt, and she was snowed into a diner with her mother.

Chloe Price was in hell, or at least her version of it.

And she didn't get her drugs either, because Nathan fucking Prescott flaked out when she had gone through all the effort of sneaking into that fucking school.

"Just great… Little bastard running off…"

"Don't you worry honey, I hear that the fire department is coming by soon to clear some of the snow away, so we should be free to go home soon." Her mother, Joyce, said hopefully as she placed a plate of food before her daughter, hoping to cheer her up.

Her daughter though, didn't want to cheer up.

"You call it a home… I don't." Chloe muttered hatefully, as she pushed aside the plate, refusing to fall for her mother's tricks.

She wanted to be angry, she deserved to be angry, to feel better by feeling worse.

She just felt sad, and she hated being sad, it was always awful.

It was almost like… something was wrong, and she had no idea what it was… but she felt like she wasn't supposed to be here…

It was driving her crazy, because she rarely wasn't sure of something, but this entire day was… wrong, very wrong.

And, her mother wouldn't give her a damn moment of silence.

"What a week so far…"