1995. 8. 27
Alright. Voldemort had asked Emma to do something that she had full confidence in: performing a spell without a wand. The charm on the cup was different. Yes, this time he wanted to see her combat skills. Finally relaxing, Emma waited to see who Voldemort was going to appoint to the task. "Lucius. Let us see if the young girl can knock you off your feet, shall we?" For a moment, the blonde wizard named Lucius stared at Voldemort, as if in shock. He then scooted his chair backwards with a loud screech across the wooden floor, leaving marks no doubt. Gracefully and elegantly, he walked around the table and stood in front of Emma, his wand at the ready.
Emma stared intently at the wizard, willing him to fly backwards to the stone wall behind him. However, no matter how hard she stared, nothing happened. She even tried closing her eyes, but Lucius still remained standing. "Well? Are you going to do something?" Growing frustrated, Emma held her hand out, palm facing Lucius. She concentrated as hard as she possibly could, seeing him fly across the room and against the wall in her mind.
Silence.
In a desperate attempt for help, Emma looked over her shoulder at Snape. "I don't know what's wrong." She tried to remember how she had done it in the past. The first time was when she was only three, according to her uncle. Emma had over heard him talking to Dumbledore when she was eleven. Remus told Dumbledore how she had used magic the night her mother was murdered, without a wand. Dumbledore reasoned, however, that children often are able to use magic before they become of wizarding age. The second time she had thrown her uncle across the room with a wave of her hand. They had been fighting over her father. Remus had let slip that he did not believe Sirius was innocent, that he thought Sirius had killed Peter for no reason. Emma refused to believe her dad was a murderer and while bursting with anger, she simply wished her uncle would shut up. Next thing she knew, her uncle was on the other side of the room, unconscious. The third and final time she had used magic without a wand was when she was reunited with her father. She had no idea how, but she was able to make her hands glow, substituting for lumos.
What was the connection? What was she missing? Emma envisioned what she wanted to happen, but there were still no results. What was she doing wrong? "Perhaps, she needs to be in danger." Voldemort nodded at Lucius, as if giving a silent order. What was going to happen now? Emma returned her gaze to the blonde wizard before her, who had raised his wand, pointing it at her throat. "Crucio!"
Emma's entire body burned with a white, hot pain. Screaming, she fell to the floor, no longer able to hear the words of the men talking around her. All she could think of was how awful the pain was and how on earth she could make it stop. Right before she tried to use protego without a wand, Lucius stopped cursing her. Emma stopped screaming and panted, trying to catch her breath and slow her heart rate. The pain was growing duller, but now her body felt almost numb and utterly heavy.
"My lord, allow me to suggest another method?" Was he trying to help? Of course, he was her teacher, right? However, Severus Snape was also a Death Eater. Which loyalty came first? Emma wondered. "What would that be, Severus?" Silently, Snape stood from his seat and walked around the table to Emma. Looking into his eyes, Emma could see that he was feeling remorse. He did not want to be here, and frankly, neither did she. Pointing his wand at her forehead, Emma could have sworn she saw a bead of sweat fall down his face before he muttered, "Legillimens!"
The world proceeded to swirl into darkness.