§Lyra§
I was in hell. Millions of people pushed past me, some with huge knives protruding from their skulls, others with missing limbs or other body parts. It reminded me of the muggle holiday Halloween.
"Excuse me, does anyone know where we are?" I asked rubbing my goose-bumped arms. Man, this place was cold.
"We're waiting for Charon to take us to the other side of a river," said an old lady, skin covered in purple boils.
"Where am I?"
"In Hades." The woman rolled her bloodshot eyes as if it were obvious.
"People with money, step forward!" Ordered the rough voice of a man. Maybe he can tell me where I am. I thought desperately. I pushed through the throng of people, and finally located the source of the voice. A man in an expensive looking suit with black sunglasses. A man with a ghostly white face and a stooped figure stood on a large boat, an oar in one hand, and a money bag in the other.
"Sir? Where am I- I mean, I know I'm dead, but..." I babbled nervously.
"Do you have money?" He asked not bothering to look up.
"Well, I have a few sickles somewhere in here." I said rummaging in the pocket of my robes. I finally found a couple of silver coins, and placed them in the man's palm.
He looked at the money. Then he looked back at me. He slowly dropped them into the pouch, and grabbed my arm. I winced. If the air was freezing, it was nothing compared to this. His hand seemed to radiate cold. "Are you Lyra Clarion?" he asked. I nodded numbly, trying to subtly shake his hand off of me. I hated people touching me, especially zombies."Hades is expecting you." He said, pulling me onboard. Several others attempted to climb onto the ferry, but he shooed them away.
"We're going straight to Hades' place," he told them, annoyed. They groaned and watched us as we left the dock, shooting me infuriated looks.
"Er, sir," I said, trying to ignore his dark, hollow eyes. "You never answered my question. Where am I, and why are you taking me to this Hades person?" Wasn't Hades that guy in Greek mythology? I could just barely remember learning that in muggle studies, years ago. Was this where I was? The Greek Underworld?
The man nodded, answering all my questions but the ones I had said aloud. This guy was creepy. But then again, I was a dead person. I shuddered, and tried not to think about what had happened before I had found myself in this place. As long as Lord Malum was now dead, too, at least it was worth it.
After what seemed like both forever and a matter of seconds (wow, time was weird down here), we reached the dock on the shore next to the titanic stone walls guarding the rest of the Underworld. Waiting there was an actual person- in business clothes skimming through something on his tablet, only visibly affected by the Underworld in a slight pale color to his face, and black rings under his eyes. He looked up when he saw us and tapped the tablet. Suddenly it turned into a sort of stick with two snakes entwined around it. "Oh, Charon, you're here," he said.
"Mr. Hermes," Charon muttered, bowing stiffly. "I must… attend to many, many, many," he scowled, "other souls, so I must be off. I trust you shall take her from here." Hermes, the messenger god, nodded. Charon left and I timidly followed Hermes down a beach of black sand to a pair of large iron gates. Hermes? Wasn't he like, the god of messengers or something? Then I guess he wasn't an actual person.
"No I'm a god." He said, without turning back.
"Geez! What is it with people- or things- down here in the underworld? How do they all know legilimency?" I exclaimed.
"Legili-what? My silly mortal girl, I simply read minds."
"Okay, then." I said, too tired to point out that 'mind reading' was impossible.
"It's possible alright." He said.
§Lord Malum§
From the second I met Lyra, I knew she was different. There was some kind of air about her. At first, I thought it was power. That's why she would be good as a horcrux, because the procedure would take a very strong person. If I ever needed my soul back, I would have no trouble killing her. Then, I started to feel something else towards her. Something I couldn't quite put a finger on. Something that, whenever I stared into her big, dark eyes gave me a fluttery feeling in my chest. When Potter and his friends finally figured out that she was my last horcrux and I thought they were going to kill her, I finally recognized my feeling. Love. I was in love with Lyra Clarion. I had to save her, even if it meant the downfall of me and all my dreams. Someone intelligent once told me that everyone has a fatal flaw. Lyra was mine. So I told them to get their hands off her, and then the stupid girl went ahead and killed herself, and the tears I promised myself I would not shed came dripping out. If anyone saw me like this, I would kill them on the spot. For the first time, I wished I were Voldemort. That I couldn't feel. But then again, feelings were what had brought me to where I was today. Feelings I felt when my fellow Slytherins figured out I was a muggle-born, and taunted me. Feelings of when the girls made fun of my social awkwardness. Feelings that threatened to tear me apart when the rest of the school shunned me. I knew, from that day, that I would get my revenge. It was only a matter of time.
And here I was, about to destroy a whole race of people. But then I met her. I had watched Harry Potter send a killing curse towards me, with a feeling of both panic of dying and craftiness, for Potter didn't know he hadn't killed me. When the curse had hit me it had felt like it shoved my sould out of my body, and for a second I'd watched it from a few inches away, collapsing on the floor, and Potter and Jackson's whoops of victory. But then it went black, and when I awoke I couldn't see. I didn't need to see. I was all-knowing, I was a god, I was a soul. Only a soul: one-thirteenth of a soul. As much as I had enjoyed this feeling of no responsibility, I knew I was in reality extremely weak and powerless as long as I stayed here in Lyra's body.
I could've killed her easily from the inside. I would have needed to kill her, if I was to break my soul loose from hers and rejoin my body. But for some reason I found I couldn't. For the first time since my parents had died when I was eight, I cared too much about someone, cared more about them than I did myself. I couldn't bring myself to kill this girl, no matter how easy, no matter if in doing so I could finally have my revenge. And then I'd broken out of my brainless thoughts, I'd noticed voices echoing around me. I could feel Lyra begin to speak, for it was like I spoke to- not that I was forced to, but it felt like I was moving my mouth without thinking too hard about it.
"Then you know you have to destroy it. Me. Kill me, now." I couldn't hear anything else she said. I only felt anger rise up, along with pure terror, and then so much guilt it felt like I had replaced Atlas, and was now holding up the entire world. It was all my fault. If I hadn't made Lyra a horcrux, she'd be safe now. I never would have learned to love her, but she'd live the rest of her life. Whoever was out there- Potter and Jackson, and their mates, maybe- would they destroy her? I thought of how mercilessly they had killed me earlier. Yes, they would go to any means to ruin me… us. I seethed with rage, and knew I had to do something. I screamed soundlessly, almost a tangible thought, and I felt Lyra's mouth open as my commands spilled out. It was hard, so hard, but if they listened it would be worth it. "DO NOT HURT HER. DO NOT TOUCH HER, OR YOU SHALL DIE PAINFULLY," I threatened. No, I had to try harder. And I realized that no matter how I felt about wizards, I could still care so much about one witch I would do anything for her. Even sacrifice myself. As soon as I thought this I knew it was true. "YOU MAY DESTROY ME," I told them. "I WILL TELL YOU HOW IF YOU KEEP HER SAFE" The truth was, I hadn't actually any idea of how to destroy a horcrux without destroying its container, but I just needed to spare time, to make them at least put down any virtual weapons so Lyra might be safe for at least a while longer.
At first I had thought it'd worked, but I was so sapped of energy I couldn't tell. But I had barely heard Lyra say something, and then it had happened all over again- I was suddenly pushed out of Lyra's body, and I watched it hit the ground, wand still in its clutch.
I woken up on the gloomy banks of a filthy river, translucent figures crowded on all sides of me as we stood in the Underworld. I was aware of one soul, closer than all others, though. It was Lyra's. I couldn't tell how or why, but we were still connected. I waited for her to notice me, but her now dark, hollow eye sockets passed right by me. I was still invisible to my love.
§Lyra§
I followed Hermes through the gates and into a gigantic courtyard. A few straggling souls, most likely from the last ferry ride, were still waiting in two lines, one leading to a marble building, and the other through a sort of tollbooth labeled "E-Z Death". The messenger god walked briskly to a door on one side of the yard, stopped, and I heard gears whirring as the previously-locked entrance opened to us. We walked through, and I gasped (even though there was no air, and I was dead). It was like another world down here- a beautiful, albeit dark and foreboding, world. Of course, I couldn't see very far because of all the fog around me, but around me I could distinguish dead, dry grass bordering a cobblestone road ahead of us, and in the distance the black roofs of a city. Hermes cleared his throat and we started along the road. I didn't dare ask him where he was taking me- he seemed much more dangerous than Charon.
Eventually we reached the end of the road. The building we seemed to be about to enter was also dark like the rest of the Underworld, but yet it sparkled of a black-diamond studded stone. The door in front of us appeared plain enough, but it must have been a side entrance. Somehow I knew this was Hade's palace.
We entered and arrived in a barely lit hallway. It twisted and turned, and without Hermes leading me I would have surely gotten lost, but we eventually got to some double doors. He finally turned and acknowledged me. "You are about to speak to the Lord of the Dead. Do not make a fool of yourself." And with that the doors swung open.
It was a throne room. I walked in cautiously, Hermes behind me. In a throne of- was that human bones?- sat a regal looking man with a dark beard, staring at me, and in a slightly smaller throne made of woven tree branches, a younger woman who had long, jet black hair plaited down her back, and a crown of flowers on her head. I swallowed nervously, not sure what to do. Suddenly Hermes pushed past me and bowed his head. "Hades." The messenger god, I was certain, was higher status than me, so I must pay yet more respect to the lord of the Underworld. I plopped onto my knees, and I sensed Hades stand up from his throne.
"Ah, yes. Thank you, Hermes. You are dismissed."
Hermes seemed shocked. "Are you sure, uncle? I could supervise, insure that-"
"No. I wish to speak to her alone." Hermes nodded and walked out of the room. "That means you go too, my dear Persephone."
The woman jumped to her feet, and ran from the room without looking back. I could hear her in the hallway as she sang some song about being free at last. Hades turned to me, and I permitted myself to stand up, facing his stern face.
"Lyra." He said.
"Uh… yeah."
"You killed yourself to ensure the downfall of an evil wizard."
"Well, yes. I needed to help in some way."
"Demeter told Persephone who told me about his visit on Olympus, and I have decided to help you."
"Since you're the Lord of the Dead, can't you like, just kill him or something?"
He laughed. "It's not that simple."
"Well, how can you help then?"
"That's why I ordered you to be brought here. I have decided to grant you your life back. You see, when you died, the horcrux within you died as well. I can now seperate it from you. You are no longer a threat."
I was surprised. He was going to grant me my life back just like that?
"You are a brave and selfless girl, and the good are rewarded." He said, answering my unspoken question, "I will give you one last chance. Your friends need you"
I hesitated. There had to be a catch.
"Unless you'd rather stay here forever. You would never have a problem in the world. I could put you in Elysium."
"I'll go back." I said. I couldn't let them fight the battle without me. We were all in this together.
"Good choice." Then he clenched his teeth, seeming to have advanced pity on me for what he was about to say. "However, Zeus has tampered with my abilities somewhat. Although I can seperate Lord Malum's soul from yours, if I send you back up to the mortal world, I must also send the remainder of his soul up as well. I'm sorry, young warrior."
I was still trying to piece everything together. "So you're saying we have to kill him… again?"
Hades nodded. "I'm afraid so. Yet, it is different this time. Now your friends have you."
I was terrified of the task ahead, but still I set my jaw, knowing that this second chance of living could be just what I- what we- needed. Hades smiled, perfectly aware of my descision. With a snap of his fingers, the castle dissolved, and I whirled away into nothingness.