Shoutout to:
MissesE: That was one crazy dream you got there lol XD thanks for dreaming anyway! Hope you like this chapter~~
Author's Note:
Hello preps! I am so so so sorry for the delay of this chapter! No, I hadn't mean to tease you *sweat* A lot of things had happened these few days; including me just turned 24 the last saturday! Yeah! So overall, I hope everyone's good and healthy. :)
In the memories of those who have died in the latest Paris attack and also to the rest of the world in need so much love and prayers, let us spend a minute of prayer. Amin.
#Prayfortheworld
Chapter 16: Forgotten Past
"WAKE up, Miss Claire. Claire? Wake up, child."
Claire was brought back to life by someone who had repeatedly called out her name - a soothing male voice was calling and telling her to wake up.
It wasn't Lucius nor was it Severus' voice either.
The voice kept calling her name until she finally managed to slowly opened her eyes and blinked rapidly for a few times.
Claire groaned as waves of migraine began assaulting her mind - as if someone had literally cracked her skull opened. Blinking her eyes again to adjust to her new found surroundings, Claire tried to move her hands - only to find it being tied by an invincible strings on her back.
"Shit." Now that her eyes were able to get a good look of her surroundings, Claire found herself on the ground of a rather spacious dark dungeon.
The only light invisible there came from the torches.
Claire tried to get up on her feet rather than lying on the ground, and leaned back against the concreted walls. She managed to do just that at least.
"Dungeon, huh? Not a good place to be in." Claire said to no one. Her eyes wandered around at the place.
"At least he didn't tie up my legs or put something in my mouth... Which means he trusts me enough to move round with my hands on the back, but not trust me enough to escape without using my hands.. So, my guess would be there's a secret hidden door somewhere here that I need to reach."
"Excellent observation, Miss Claire!" Answered a familiar giggling voice coming somewhere in the room.
Claire frowned deeply as she waited for the said man, her kidnapper to reveal himself - Willy Wonka.
Willy made no fuss when he approached her with a wide smile.
"I'm glad to see you finally awake, Claire. I was getting scared the sleeping draught I'd cast on you were too strong that you might not be able to wake up at all! That would be too bad if it happens, don't you think so? " He chuckled lightheartedly at his own words, much to Claire' dismay.
What kind of a person would laugh at someone's death like that?
'Then again, he's hardly a person but a damn Wizard. A mad damn Wizard.' Claire's mind argued.
Taking a deep breath, Claire tried to justify the situation in her head: she had been alone at the Mafoy's manor when Mimi suddenly shown up and apparated her to her room. Then, this crazy fella shown up,blabbering about something and then kidnapped her.
"You.." Before she could ask what he wanted with her in the first place, Claire remembered what the crazy Wizard had said to her before she blacked out.
"A little bit of your time will sufficient."
Fine. If all he wants was just to talk, then she would listen. Perhaps, she could put two and two together and figured something out and then get the hell out of here.
"You'd told me you wanted to talk. Now talk, Wizard." Claire hissed.
Willy Wonka jumped excitedly while clapping his hands. His smile grew widened.
"You're a fierce lass, aren't you? Fierce but reasonable. Which is what I like the most about you. I mean I haven't met any lass who has a temper like-"
"OUT WITH IT!" Claire roared. "Just because I'm unable to strangle you, doesn't means I can't kick the smug on your face! Either get to the point, Wizard, OR release me!"
Willy grinned, with both arms crossed on his chest. Taking a long deep breath, he began.
"I'm sure you know who I am by now, Miss Claire. Nevertheless, allow me to formally reintroduce myself. My name is Willy Wonka, of the Wonka Family. My family, as you'd also knew from reading the book earlier, is Pureblood whose each generation had been blessed with a powerful Seer. Despite not possessed the 'Inner-Eye', we are indeed blessed by something that is somewhat similar to the Trelawney's Inner-Eye－ we possessed the 'Time-Stopper'－the ability to literally stopped the movement of time and space."
Claire vaguely nodded her head. She remember reading about it in the book.
"Unlike the rest of my family who prefer to remain Neutral, I beg the differ. You see Miss Claire, it's not easy for one to become a Seer. And for someone like me who had witnessed countless times of never-ending conflicts that led to violence and eventually never-ending wars, the traumatic effects it had on me had made me became a pacifist, if you will. Something that none of the members of my family would be able to accept. In the end, I ended up being cast aside by them and the rest of the society who wouldn't even think twice about wanting to change the way things were. That's quite all right though. I'd made good fortunes by myself without having to relay on my family. Furthermore, I began to study not only the history of the Wizarding World, but also Muggle's history as well. I wanted to understand why our World is so - so... backward compared to the Muggle's world. Is it because of the lack of magic? That they are able to create man-made magic sort of called 'technology?' I had been indeed curious about the Muggles and had since then, began my little investigation on them to fullfill my desire to know about the things that they have that we do not have."
Willy played with his cane, all the while he talking. Claire observed him carefully; his words, his body language - something was telling her that he was trying to built up the feelings befor he got straight to the point.
"Look, I can't beat you up like this, I've been tied up. So if you don't mind, just tell me straight what happened."
Willy stopped paying attention to his cane and now focused on her. There were something in his eyes; a glint of unknown feelings.
"...My curiousity of the Muggle's World had eventually led me to see the future of a little boy; a half-blood, whom, at such an early age; bore deep hatred toward Muggles and wizards with muggle relation for the rest of his life.. Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"TOM Marvolo Riddle."
Claire's blood froze as the words came out from his mouth.
Tom Riddle, also known as the most powerful Dark Lord that ceased to exist. She had heard plenty of tales about him from Severus and Lucius, and none of them were too pleaseant to share with.
Not saying a word, she let him continue.
"I received my visions two days before the New Year in 1926, about a birth of an infant and his dark army in the future. The boy would later known as the most dangerous wizard of all the times. Then, exactly twelve o'clock sharp, that vision came true; the little boy was born. I'd rushed to Minister office to warn the others about my vision. Back then, the then Minister, Perseus Parkinson, had been an ignorant fool and had been more concerned on passing a bill to make it illegal to marry a Muggle. I'd tried to warn him about Tom's existance, but he had rudely shushed me and even told me to go away."
Willy shook his head in pity.
"Foolish man he had been. It was no wonder he got sacked right after his time as the Minister ran out. Back to the story, When Cassandra Trelawney stated her prediction of how the young Tom would soon become the infamoud Dark Lord, only one man answered the call - Albus Dumbledore. He went to visit the young Tom at the Wool's Orphange in 1938 to inform him that he had been accepted into Hogwarts' School. Things had turned out to be interesting on both sides.. I'd asked Dumbledore how his meeting with the boy went. The late Wizard had said Tom was a brilliant lad at his age but with sadistic straits."
Claire listened patiently.
One topic she had always avoid from talking to Severus or Lucius was the Dark Lord himself. The Death-Eaters were a subject they were uncomfortable with, but the Dark Lord was a taboo subject.
Willy Wonka had a forlornly look when he continued with the story.
"I'd told Dumbledore about my visions and the fact that what Tom earned, no, wanted the most - love. Love is the only thing that could save him from himself and from the dar force that dwell inside him. Only love. Alas, even the Great Albus Dumbledore had thought the idea of love wouldn't do much good for someone like the young Tom Riddle..."
Claire gasped softly. Surely, he could have tried at the very least, nurtured the miserable lad with love?
"It was heartbreaking for me. Albus Dumbledore had been my one and only hope in order to change the mind of a child who has been corrupted by his surrounding. It left me so heartbroken that after Dumbledore had said that, I literally left the Wizarding World for a while. It became clear to me that the people in the Wizarding World care so little about love than they do for war! They feared Tom because of what had been predicted to him in the future. Instead of trying to at least try and change his way of thinking with kindness and love, they chose to go against him, making him the enemy that he already were - driving the demon out of him."
Willy looked up at her and briefly smiled.
"I went and stayed at the Muggle world for a while. I needed to get myself away from all those wizards and the Wizrding World. I stayed there for several years. Built a career and created a name for myself under my own name instead of using a fake Muggle name. I'd heard Albus tried to convince the young Tom that love is the most poweful than any kind of magic, but he merely just scoffed on it. "
Willy simply shrugged. "He should have tried telling him that when he was younger."
"Wait. Career? Don't tell me you'd actually OWNED a chocolate factory!?"
Willy smirked. With a wave of his hand, a chocolate bar with a big printed label of 'Willy Wonka' on it.
"Suprised, my dear? Well you shouldn't be! I've always love candy bars - especially Muggle's chocolates. Since I have enough fortunes, I'd asked myself one fine day, 'hey, what's stopping you to make you own candy'? And viola! It become so famous,someone had approached me asked to turn it into a children's book!"
Claire was getting dizzier by the information she just received.
Who knew Willy Wonka was actually exist? Here, in the same place with her!
Willy chuckled in excitement while clapping his hands before he stopped and cleared his throat. He then spoke with a less-then-cheerful voice.
"Ubfortunately, we are not here to talk about me. We are here talk about you, Miss Claire."
"M-Me?"
Willy nodded. He walked in circle around her while keeping his distance. Her warning to him earlier were meaningless. Thus, he had been taken it lightly. However, he couldn't ignore the possibilities of her jumping on him and have his face kicked to the side..
After all, his prediction on her had been off lately.
"Yes you, Miss Claire. Speaking of which, how old were you in 1981, Claire?"
"Six. I was born in 1975." Claire made a quick calculation. "Why do you asked?"
Willy cast a forlorned look on her once again. A moment later, he summoned one of his tarot card and revealed the card to her: Death.
"Tell me, what do you remember on Halloween's Eve in 1981?"
"Why?" Claire narrowed her eyes at her. "What makes you think I would remember something that had happened years ago? And even if I do remember,why should I tell you?"
"So you do not remember what had happened to you on that night?" Willy stopped before her. "Tell me the truth, Claire."
Thick silence filled in the air between them.
After a moment passed, Claire heavily sighed.
"I went out for an early trick 'n treats around the neighbourhood because I had to go somewhere on that next day, Halloween. That's all that I'd remember."
"Do you remember how was your condition after you went for trick n treats?"
"What does that has anything to do with this anyway?" Willy gave her a pointed look, which Claire sighed once again.
"I don't remember.. Everything else was blurred that night. Though, now that I think about it, I remember feeling more tired than the usual."
Willy nodded. He proceed by sitting down on the cold floor and asked her to do the same as well.
Claire reluctantly sat down while keeping her guard up.
Damn him for tieing her arms at the back like this!
"I would like to use a Legilimency spell on you if you don't mind. Now, now Miss Claire, I assure you I am an honest and trustworthy man. I merely wanted for you to see the past that you have forgotten. And to find out why you were being targeted by the surviving Death-Eaters and also, this," He showed her the Death card.
"How could you had managed to survive from getting hit by the Killing Curse from the Dark Lord himself."
Claire stopped struggling at his last words.
She'd met with the Dark Lord before? But when did...
Suddenly she felt the time and space literally stopped and a voice said, "Legilimens."
WHEN Claire reopened her eyes, she found herself back her old quiet neighbouring home, standing at the side of the road. It was the night of the Halloween's Eve, 30 October 1981.
"Nostalgic much, are we?" Claire turned around and saw Willy Wonka smiling briefly at her.
She narrowed her eyes. Now that her arms were free, she did the first thing that came to her mind; punch him.
"Owh!" Willy held on to his nose, hopefully not broken.
"That's for kidnapping me and used Legilimency spell on me without my permission!" She huffed and blew the few front strings of her bangs.
Willy got up to his feet, already healed his bleeding nose, he smiled at her.
"Well, might as well hit me here when you have the chance right?"
Claire didn't bother to answer.
"Now that we got that one covered, Miss Claire, let's focused on the actual task here, yes?" He pointed at a familiar one house on the further right where a little girl dressed as a Red Riding Hood walked out of the front door, waving at her mom who told her to be careful and do not to strangers.
"That's..." Claire whispered.
Willy nodded. "Come along then."
Claire mutely nodded and followed the little girl discreetly.
After a moment of following the young girl knocking from one door to another, Claire began to remember slowly what happened.
Her thought wer however cut by the sight of the little girl approaching a hooded man who was standing beside the road.
"Where's she going?" Claire hissed as she went nearer toward girl.
"Hey Mister, are you okay?" Little Claire asked the mysterious hooded man who seemed to be observing something or someone.
When she had asked him a question, the man turned to look at her.
Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be afraid of his look like most Muggles.
"That's a cool make up you're wearing, Mister." The girl smiled. "Who are you supposed to be?"
Claire gasped sharply when the man lifted his head and revealed himself. Beside her, Willy looked tense.
"Who am I? Perhaps you should be more aware of your surroundings, little girl." Voldemort pointed his wand at her. "Didn't Mummy ever taught you not to talk to strangers?"
"No! run!" Claire shouted from the distance.
It was too late.
With one word, the Dark Lord had launched the Killing Curse on the helpless little girl and sent her off flying to the centre of the road, before he walked away and Apparated.
The quiet neighbouhood had soon busily with people coming out of their houses when someone had shouted a little girl had gotten hit by the car.
As the people approached the still and unconscioused little girl, a pair of hands carefully and gently lifted her up.
Young Willy Wonka looked at the little girl with sadness in his eyes. He had predicted this event; the kind and innocent little muggle whom he had met and befriended with when he first came to the Muggle world, had unfortunately died by the hands of the Dark Lord.
As the young Willy grieved for the death of his little friend, with his head down on her chest, all the sudden, he felt a tiny weak hearbeat coming from her.
Willy looked up at the little girl with tearful eyes grew widened. He checked for her pulse... There! It was there, albeit very weak but it was there nonetheless!
Decided to not waste any time, the young Wonka began to discreetly healed the little girl until a couple who claimed to be the girl's parents arrived to the scene and immediately, she was taken to the Muggle's General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Claire watched as the event unfolded with tears running down her cheeks and one hand covered her mouth.
Two things happened at once that had greatly shocked her:
One, was that the Dark Lord had mercilessly made an attempt to kill a child, her. And two, the moment when Voldermort had launched the Killing curse on the younger version of her, the little girl had been protected by a green barrier, unknown to even the Dark Lord himself.
Two silhouette figures, a man and a woman in green flame stood behind the little girl.
"You will not touch our daughter with your filthy hands, Veldormort!" Spoke the male in green flame.
"We will not let our sacrifices for our beloved daughter gone to waste! You may have killed us but we will never lett you take her!"
The green flames grew wildly as the Killing Curse hit the girl and sent her flying in the air, not befoe she landed on the hard road softly as she was being supported by the green flame.
"Live long, my child. Sweet Claire, Papa and Mama love you so very much.."
From that moment on everything around Claire turned to pitch black.
CLAIRE woke up from her state with a loud gasp and tears still rolling down her eyes. She couldn't stop crying and not really cared for showing her weakness in front of the eccentric man at the moment.
"Do you know that you were adopted?" Willy asked very softly as he lifted the magical bind that tied her arms at her back.
Claire slowly nodded.
" I...I never knew about my biological parents, but I kept a photograph of them.. I..I was being told they both died in a nasty fire. They'd died while protecting me." She sobbed and wiped away her tears using her sleeves.
"My adoptive parents had never tried to hide that though I'm their adopted child, they had showered me with great care and love. I love them."
" I see.." Willy gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure both of your parents have loved you greatly and are protecting you." He held on her hands warmly.
"In fact, because of their loves for you-"
"Stupefy!" A familiar baritone voice broke the silence.
Before Willy could finished his sentences, something had hit him on the side and caught him opened and totally off guard!
"Willy!"
Claire got up on her feet and rushed to help the stunned man out from being beaten to death by a very pissed off Lucius Malfoy, who did not hesitate to jump onto of him and punched his bloody face out.
While he was at it, his usually calm and composed friend simply watched as he beat the man who dared steal his woman.
"YOU DARE TO STEAL MY WOMAN, YOU WORTHLESS SON OF BITCH?!"
"Lucius!" Claire called out to him, trying her best to pull the man off the already heavilly bleeding wizard beneath him. However, Lucius' resistance was too strong and too much for her. He kept on smashing the wizard's face with each hit grew stronger than before.
"LUCIUS, stop! You'll kill him!" Claire looked at Severus. "Severus! Tell him to stop! Please!"
"Why should I? The block deserves every single beating he received from Lucius for kidnapping you AND for making you cried!"
"He didn't make me cried, Severus! I didn't cry because of him! Lucius, please stop! You're killing him!"
Claire bravely wrapped his one hand and wrapped her available arm around his neck, forcing him to face her instead.
Hopefully he wouldn't judo-throw her in his wild and enraged state of mind.
"Lucius... Love, I'm okay. I'm here..." Claire said quietly, brushing the damp strings of his hair on his forehead.
He looked absolutely horrible.
The dark shadows under his eyes made him looked older from his actual age, his face was red with pure rage, and his eyes when they met hers, the were eyes filled with terrors at what might have happened to her.
"Lucius.. I'm here. I'm okay." She repeated the words very slowly. She brought his face closer so that their foreheads meet.
Lucius on the other hand, lifted her chin with his less bloody hand and looked straight into her eyes.
Once he found what he was searching for, Lucius without hesitatingly, crushed his lips onto her. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her passionately.
Severus raised an eyebrow before turning his back facing to the couple for some privacy.
"We managed to-" Ronald Weasley's voice was immediately cut when he saw the two unlikely couple kissed and quickly covered his eyes. "Sweet Merlins, thank you for deliberately destroyed my innocent eyes, you two!"
Harry appeared beside him. Like Ronald, he too was shocked by the sight but unlike his friend here, Harry simply looked away.
Miss Rollins is an adult therefore, she is old enough to choose whomever she wishes to be with... Even if that same man happened to be Lucius Malfoy.
And besides..
Harry glanced at the couple who was now hugging each other and totally in their own little world.
He has changed. That Malfoy.