This game seems to be the trend
You can say you've won
The nightmare's coming to an end
And I can see the sun
I know that's you haunting me
Take what you want
I don't owe you anything
Take what you want
I don't owe you anything
I know I'm not wrong
I know what you want from me
Take what you want
dSz
The image of a glowing green skull with a serpent for a tongue lights up the dark, night sky. A shiver runs down my spine and I feel a small, sharp pain in the lightning-bolt shaped scar on my forehead. A cool wind wraps itself around me and suddenly I have the feeling that someone or something has just brushed up against my shoulder.
The cold feeling doesn't leave until the mark is gone. I try to sleep but when I close my eyes I see that glowing green skull. It haunts my dreams.
December 26th 2PM, Monday
Charles Smith's cottage, Brazil
It was raining again. The past week had been nothing but constant rainstorms, lightning and thunder. I pressed my forehead against the front window as I mournfully stared up at the dark afternoon sky. Charles and Draco were playing another game of chess, while Khalida tidied up. There was nothing else to do and I was beginning to get anxious and antsy.
"We can't hide out here forever, you know?"
Charles and Draco both glanced up from their game and gave me a confused look. Khalida stopped dusting but kept her back to me. My statement was a truthful one and it was something that no one really wanted to hear. The days spent at the cottage were quiet, peaceful and free from worry. In that secluded cottage we were free from the worries of politics, war, prophecy and the past. For the first time we were able to relax.
Without comment everyone went back to doing what they had been. Obviously now wasn't the time to bring up the prospect of leaving. Going back to the wizarding world or the muggle world wasn't a very attractive thought to me either, but I couldn't stand not knowing what was going on out in the world, either one of them.
A soft tapping at the window brought me out of my reverie. My eyes focused on the small, white owl flapping against the other side of the glass. I glanced at the other occupants in the room and was surprised to see no one had noticed the bird. A small green and silver envelope was tied to the owl's leg. At the corner of the envelope I could see the initials "SS" printed.
Deciding that the letter from Severus was probably something better read in private, I pointed toward the kitchen. The owl seemed to catch my hint because it immediately backed away from the window and flew off. I surreptitiously made my way into the kitchen and found the bird waiting patiently for me at the kitchen window. I quickly let the bird in, handed it a treat and shooed it back out. If it flew into the living room then Draco and Khalida would definitely have been suspicious. I ripped open the envelope and pulled out a small, gray sheet of parchment.
JLPI'm sure I do not have to comment on the irony of those initials.
As to your request for information. The only time I have ever heard the term 'homunculus' is in alchemical mythology. There are various stories which speak of a alchemist living in Germany in the sixteen-hundreds who came up with a process to create a human being using his own sperm. The idea would probably be comparable to cloning oneself. No one knows if this story is actually true or not but the process has been attempted many times and to my knowledge it has never been successful.
SS
So my father and Charles were working on something to do with cloning. It would make sense I suppose, seeing as how there is another man running around who looks like an older version of Charles Smith. The notes in Smith's vault at Gringotts must pertain to the cloning process and I have a good idea of why Voldemort would be after them.
"Why were you and my father trying to clone a human?" I asked Smith as I stomped back into the living room.
The pawn in Smith's hand slipped through his fingers and clattered onto the chess board. Draco turned around to give me a puzzled look while Khalida walked over to put a hand on my shoulder.
"He can't tell you," Khalida stated and Charles nodded in agreement.
"What do you mean he can't tell me? Why the hell can't he tell me?"
"Because...because if you know...then he'll know," Charles replied shakily.
That's when I finally understood why information was being kept from me. If Charles or Khalida told me anything of importance Voldemort might be able to extract it from my mind. Perhaps he was even able to see what I was doing in his dreams just as I could see his actions in my own.
"So these notes in the vault, when we get them I'm not going to be able to see them either, am I?" I questioned. Charles and Khalida nodded in reply. "That means I may never know what all of this was for...all of this running around, all of this fighting, none of it?" Charles and Khalida nodded once more.
"Until Voldemort is truly defeated you cannot know," Khalida responded, "and even then it may be better if you do not know."
"I don't understand," I whispered hoarsely, "What could be so important? What could be so terrible that I can't ever know?"
Khalida turned me around until we stood face to face. She pulled me into a forceful hug and patted my head lovingly.
"Sometimes it is better to let the truth die with the past," she whispered into my ear, "Sometimes simple words of truth can destroy us; mind, body and soul."
December 30th 2AM, Friday
Charles Smith's cottage, Brazil
There's a young girl with red hair and green eyes. I'm hiding in the shadows as I watch her play in the shallow water at the lake's edge. Her skin is pale in the sunlight and my task is difficult. A mark on her skin, there must be a mark on her skin.
A small baby with messy black hair is ripping up grass while his mother works in the garden. Her hair is red, eyes are green. The boys eyes are green. I see no mark, there must be a mark.
The wand has disappeared. It can't have disappeared, yet it is gone. There are no holes in the trunk and the lock is still in place. It can only mean one thing. She has the mark, the contract will soon be fulfilled.
"Draco!" I called out as I sat up in bed. Draco pushed himself up next to me and lazily rubbed his eyes.
" 'Nother nightmare?"
"Memories," I replied worriedly, "and they weren't mine." Draco's eyes widened in surprise and he nodded in understanding.
"I'll go get Khalida and Smith," he replied while throwing on a pair of pants and a t-shirt.
After Draco left the room I finally reached up to my forehead and rubbed at my scar. Ever since I woke up I could feel a slight twinge there and it seemed to be getting stronger. Slowly it was changing from just a twinge to a sharp pain. Draco returned with Khalida and Smith just as the scar began to bleed.
"We've got to get out of here," I gasped, "He's coming."
"But how?" Khalida asked in confusion.
"My wand," I replied shakily, "He had the wand."
Draco began rushing around the room, throwing everything he could into our bags. A moment later he had them shrunken and pushed into one pocket. Khalida reached out and picked up my wand from the bedside table. Eyeing it warily, she held it in between her thumb and forefinger.
"Should we leave it here?" she asked thoughtfully.
"But it's Jenny's wand..." Draco began but I interrupted him.
"Burn it." The room became silent as everyone turned to stare at me.
"What did you say?" Charles asked in confusion.
"I said burn it."
"You can't just burn your..." Draco stated and I cut him off once more.
"I can't keep it and we can't let him have it," I replied tightly, "Who knows what he'll do with it."
"Jenny's right," Khalida stated with a nod, "Even if we just leave it here the Dark Lord may be able to find a way to use it to find Jenny again."
"You can't just destroy your own wand!" Draco shouted, "You might as well cut off your own arm or leg or rip out your soul. Your wand is a part of you, who knows what will happen if you destroy it."
"It might destroy you," Charles added sadly, "or your magic."
"We have no other choice," I exclaimed, "It's not as if I don't want to keep it but I can't!"
"But Jenny..."
"No Draco, this is the way it has to be," I stated while taking the wand from Khalida. I felt a familiar warmth encircle me before I dropped the wand into Draco's hand and I was cold once more. "You've got to do this for me Draco," I added shakily, "I can't do this myself."
"But..."
"No but's Draco, do it now," I pleaded mournfully.
"But..."
"Just do it Draco," Khalida urged softly.
Draco gave me one last pleading look before dropping the wand on the floor. With a slight swish of his wrist and a few mumbled words the wand began to burn. I quickly felt as if I was burning with it.
"I can't breath," I rasped as I fell to the floor. I unconciously made a grab for the flames in an attempt to retrieve the burning piece of wood but Charles held me back. "My wand," I whispered, "I need my wand."
The small stick burned slowly at first before flaring to life in a rainbow of multi-colored flames. Small spark arose, reminding me of the fireworks my father would set off on the fourth of July. Then suddenly it was all over and the only thing left of my wand was a small black mark on the rough wooden floor.
"My God, what have I done?" Draco lamented as he fell to the floor beside me.
"You did what you had to," Khalida offered and I gave a half-hearted nod of agreement.
A loud whistling noise brought us out of our thoughts. I clapped my hands over my ears in an attempt to block it out. Draco jumped to his feet, his wand held out in front of him.
"Someone's triggered the wards," Charles stated.
"Bloody hell," Draco replied, "How did he find us so quickly?"
For the first time the reality of our situation hit me and I understood why witches and wizards everywhere feared to speak his name.
"With Voldemort after you," Khalida responded, "time is never on your side."
dSz
dSz
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, my spell check still doesn't work so hopefully this isn't too awful. I know this isn't one of my longest chapters but I promise the next one will be much better.The last few days haven't been the best for me so I've had a bit of writer's block.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter nonetheless. Thank you for reading and reviewing.