The Hidden Countries;
Chapter Six
How on earth does he know my mother?
Rose's eyes darted around the lab; Haku was behind her covered by her invisibility cloak. It had taken her awhile to convince him that it did work. But she had – somehow. Rose walked softly not making a sound; she had a lot of practice with that, mostly from stealing food from the fridge in the middle of the night when she lived with the Dursleys.
But still, the stakes were now higher than with what they had been with the ham. This was something to decide who won the war. Rose wasn't going to lose this time. The scroll either came with her or she wasn't leaving. She was determined. Hell, even if the scroll left and she didn't – as long as Ron and Hermione got it.
As long as Voldemort got defeated, Rose didn't care what happened to her – not anymore.
Rose glanced around all of the selves in search of the scroll; it had to be there somewhere. How on earth was she meant to know what the thing looked like? She had no picture to go by, just Hermione's vague description.
Rose could hear Hermione's voice in her head describing the damn thing. "Rosie, the scroll is small and blue. It has 'snake' clearly written – even Ron could find it."
Rose didn't really want to remember the fight that she had to break up after that. Those two just couldn't stop constant bickering. It was irritating. But enough of that, she needed the scroll and now.
Rose's eye caught on a blue scroll on the top shelf; getting a closer look Rose could plainly see the word 'Snake' she was sure that it was the right one. The only problem with this was the fact that the shelf was almost double her height and the scroll was on the very top. Just bloody lovely.
Rose searched the room for anything that might just help her; there was nothing to gain some height. The lab was obviously built for someone taller than her. But then again, she was five foot tall. She was still growing though – she knew it... It was still possible.
Rose glared up at the scroll, why did it have to be up so high? There was only one way Rose could see to get it – to summon it to her. Rose glanced around the room again – nothing was out of the ordinary. If no one but her and Haku were there then Rose didn't see the harm in summoning the stupid thing down for her.
Without speaking – which just made the whole thing that much harder Rose summoned the scroll towards her. That was easy almost too easy. Rose gripped the scroll in her hand. It didn't matter if it was slightly too easy to get the stupid thing, she was just being paranoid.
Rose was defiantly paranoid. She could almost hear Mad-eye yelling 'CONSTENT VILLIGENCE!' in her mind. But there was nothing for her to worry about... was there?
"And where do you think you're going with that?"
Rose spun around her heart beating wildly before she remembered that she couldn't be seen and neither could Haku. Too late Rose realised that there was a scroll hanging mid air in her invisible fist. Why hadn't she thought ahead and make sure the thing disappeared first?
Rose looked up to the sound of the voice. There was a ... man? That Rose was sure was Orochimaru. He looked a cross between pissed off and slightly amused.
The man was tall, almost nearing six foot tall. That meant that the lab was indeed built for a tall person. The man was extremely pale, paler than Rose herself was. He had some of the longest hair that Rose had ever seen, it being waist length and black in colour. He had amber coloured eyes with slit-like pupils and strange purple markings around his eyes.
The man wore odd clothing that Rose had come to realise was more normal here. He wore plain gray grabs with standard black pants – the odd part being the thick purple rope that was tied as a belt behind his back. Hell, he even had black and blue earrings. Rose was sure that this man was Orochimaru – and he knew they were there because of her idiocy.
There was one thing though, he seemed nothing like Voldemort. Where had Ron gotten that idea from? To start with the man had a nose and hair.
Rose stayed quiet, the entire time cursing her luck – and her idiocy. How could she forget to make the thing go invisible? What could she do now, he knew that someone was here, could she just vanish? But... Haku was there and she sure as hell wouldn't leave him behind.
Apparently Rose had taken too long in deciding what to do because the man's arm spun around his arm forming a cut like move. Rose raised one of her eyebrows – it was nowhere near her.
Orochimaru's arm connected with something that didn't move out of its way fast enough. The cloak side of Haku and he stumbled before regaining his posture and moving to a defensive position.
Before either teen realised it, Orochimaru was behind Haku with a knife at his neck. Haku froze much like Rose did.
"Well, well," The man began with a creepy twisted smile. "What is this device..? How intriguing. It might just keep you alive. Now of your partner would take his off then we'll all be happy, no?"
Haku didn't move a muscle, trying not to get his neck cut open. "I have no partner. A jutsu keeps the scroll there."
Rose frowned, but a second later smiled. It was adorable of Haku trying to protect her like that. She wasn't going to leave without him though. Rose never left anyone behind and she wasn't about to start now.
"Interesting..." He said before drawing the knife closer to Haku's neck. Rose could see beads of blood appearing under the silver blade. She couldn't let this happen.
But, was the scroll more important or was Haku more important. On one hand the scroll was the means to put an end to suffering for countless people but Haku was a human being. She could not put a price on human life after all. To be honest there wasn't really much of an argument was there?
With a sigh and a deep breath, Rose resolved herself. Wasn't this part of who she was? Rose Potter the chosen one, who protects everyone. She would protect Haku, but she sure as hell wasn't giving the damn scroll up.
With a flick of her wrist her charms faded away. Wandless magic had its uses, she was lucky to have the talent – half the time she wouldn't know what to do without it.
Orochimaru drew the knife slightly away from Haku's neck upon setting his eyes on Rose. He smiled and Rose could finally see what Ron had seen. Orochimaru might have hair and a nose but he still had that dark, twisted aura that Voldemort has. Was this what her life had come to? Fighting with dark, twisted psychopaths?
Rose figured that she needed a holiday of some sort. As soon as the war was finished and over and done with, Rose was going to go on that holiday. Maybe somewhere in Australia or America? Somewhere far, far away from England that was for sure.
"Well, well," He said his eyes glinting dangerously. Haku looked panicked. "Now what I was expecting... But alright never the less."
Rose's eyes narrowed what had he been expecting? "What were you expecting? Santa Claus?"
Rose figured if she never wanted to see that twisted smile on his face again then she would stop mocking him. Or using quips. Being serious all the way.
"I was expecting the red-haired boy. Acquaintance?"
Rose had to hide her widening eyes. Ron? The idiot had shown himself to him. That had to have mean that waiting a few days wouldn't be enough time to have passed, they should have attacked before he expected it or waited for a month or two to pass.
"Sorry, I don't know any red-heads."
Rose's response seemed to amuse him even further. Rose felt like cursing. She wasn't that obvious a lair was she?
"But the question is, why do you want that scroll?" He asked her his voice taking on a dangerously delicate tone.
Rose stood there for a minute, a million and one excuses running though her head. In the end, Rose went with the smartest one. "I'm a student. I am researching summoning – and, well, needed a summoning scroll and – stealing is the easiest way."
The black haired male simply looked amused. He didn't believe her, not that she blamed him – it did sound pretty stupid.
"Sorry," Rose said awkwardly. "I didn't mean to get caught."
He laughed; it was a spine-chilling laugh – not something that Rose felt like she needed to repeat anytime soon.
"Of course. Then you wouldn't mind, giving it back then?"
Rose bit the inside of her cheek, she did very much mind handing the thing over. She would not even if her life depended on it hand he thing over. "Well – I can't. I'll fail you see."
"Of course not. How about a deal? You give me the scroll and I don't kill your friend?" His eyes were sinister – and Rose just knew that he wouldn't hesitate in killing Haku.
"How about," Rose began slowly. "You don't kill Haku and let us go?"
Rose began forming a plan in her mind, she just needed to keep him distracted, and get Haku to her side. Then her plan to get out could begin. The problem was telling Haku this.
Orochimaru smiled at her, it was like a puppy getting kicked. "What is your name, child?"
"Evens, Lily." Rose said, picking the first name that came to her mind, this being her mother's maiden name.
He smirked. "Now, that can't be true."
Rose blinked and looked slightly offended, but she looked Haku in the eye and tried to gesture to him without the pale man realising it. "Why not? It is my name!"
His smirk deepened, he looked like he was telling a small child off for taking one to many cookies from the cookie jar. "Because, I know Evens Lily. An annoying child, but she should be at least thirty by now."
Rose actually gaped. "She had red hair too, unless you changed it."
"How the hell do you know my mother!?" Rose exclaimed not thinking about what she had just said.
Orochimaru sneered and looked at her with a critical eye. "Idiot girl, her and her cousin. I didn't know she'd managed to reproduce."
Rose cursed whatever god there was up there that hated her at the moment. She shouldn't have said that.
Rose closed her eyes momentarily, and conjured a flick of flame. It was time that she got out of there – even if she really did want to know how he'd met her mother.
Rose sent the explosion of flame towards Orochimaru, who in turn pushed Haku into the flame. Rose made the fire swirl harmlessly around Haku before going after Orochimaru again.
Haku instantly went to Rose's side. Orochimaru was busy trying to outrun her flame. Rose gripped one of her hands tightly around Haku's shoulder.
In a ten second period, the flame dispersed and Rose apparated away from the scene with Haku.
Rose's last sight was Orochimaru's severely pissed of face.
~6~
"We can't use it."
Rose looked at Hermione incredulously. What did she mean that they couldn't use the damned scroll?
"What do you mean!?" Ron demanded with frustration in his voice.
Hermione sighed. "It appears that you have to sign the contract in your own blood to be able to summon the snakes."
Rose shook her head. "No Problem."
Hermione shook her head. "Yes Problem, Rosie. You don't have Chakra. Ron and I both don't have it either – we can't use it."
This time it was Ron who shook his head. "But Haku can, use it I mean."
Rose's eyes flew to the boy, as she ignored Hermione's nervous look.
Almost as if he anticipated the question, Haku responded. "I will do what you need of me."
Rose hesitated and Hermione interjected. "Haku, only if you really want to! Not because we're making you, you can say no – you're not a tool."
Haku nodded his head. "I understand. This is important, yes?"
Rose nodded her head. "Only a little. But if you don't want to then that's completely fine with us! We can find another way."
Haku shook his head. "I will sign the contract."
~3~
Rose didn't know what she expected to happen when Haku signed the contact and summoned his first snake. It was a tiny thing, completely white in colour.
What she hadn't expected was the snake to take one look at Haku and disappear. What happened after that was an even bigger surprise.
A huge ass, white snake appeared yelled about a new summoner and wanting a hundred human sacrifices. Whatever Rose had expected to happen – this was not it. The snake seemed slightly too blood thirsty for her likings.
"My name is Haku. I am the new summoner." Haku declared, actually looking slightly nervous.
The snake swayed angrily. "You pest! Do you think I'd let anyone summon us mighty snakes!?"
Rose's eyes darted to Ron and Hermione. She caught Ron mutter in surprise, "It talks english… A snake is taking people talk."
"Japanese," Hermione corrected absentmindedly.
"Shut up," Rose hissed at the two teens, intercepting a fight that she could feel build.
"Of course not," Haku said smoothly, hiding every hint of nervousness. "Do you have a test for me?"
"Test!?" The snake yelled, knocking down several trees with his tail. "Bring me a hundred humans to eat!"
"No," Haku responded calmly.
"No!? You pest! Die!" The snake roared as he brought his tail put again to slash at Haku. Haku got out of the way quickly again, and tried to reason with the snake.
"There must be something else?" Haku asked, as he dogged a falling tree. Rose intervened and casted a shield around Haku, stopping another tree to hit him.
"No you ant! Now die!"
Haku dogged again, and Rose, Ron and Hermione found that they now had to dodge falling trees and a thrashing snakes tail as well.
Suffice to say allot of shields got thrown around.
"Haku, can you send it back?" Ron yelled, and he twisted out of the sakes reach.
"I don't know how!" Haku cried, sounding out of breath.
"No pressure, but I can't keep this up for long!" Rose yelled, pushing magic into a spell to bind the snake down for a bit. The snake twitched violently, but stopped knocking down all of the trees.
Haku's face melted into one of concentration. The snake's tail lashed out from Rose's spell, and Hermione pinned that part of the snake down.
A bead of sweat rolled down Rose's face, she really couldn't hold it for much longer. Hermione and Ron wouldn't be able to hold the snake for more than a few minutes either – and Hermione was already helping her.
Hermione groaned and started to mutter about the lack of foresight that went into this.
"Haku?" Rose asked, desperation sinking into her voice – she could feel the binds on the snake weakening by the second, and she couldn't stop them.
Rose started to pull some of her magic back – this rate she was heading for exhaustion, really what made her think she could fight Orochimaru and this big snake in the same day?
Rose couldn't let herself get to the point of exhaustion. The snake struggled, before Ron decided to pitch in and pin the snake down himself. Rose withdrew a little bit more.
"Just… Do what feels right! Try… to hurry up though, Haku."
Rose felt her power wane even further… Then… the snake disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Haku had done it. Rose smiled before she tripped over a stray tree and blacked out.
~6~
There was a darkly lit hall; she was walking down at a slow, confident pace. Everything was going as planned.
The door at the end of the black-bricked hall swung open, when she was only three steps away from the entry point, bathing the hallway with a dim light. She glided though the doorway to see three of the most trusted deatheaters she had in her command.
"My Lord," They all said, bowing low to the ground. This pleased her, they knew who was in charge – who would rule.
She felt herself nod at the creatures that were underneath her. She glided around the large room, taking her place at a seat – her throne. Where she was the ruler and they were all but her minions.
"News?" She asked in a disinterested voice. Like they couldn't say anything that would displease her. She was already to far into her plans – nothing could stop her, not now.
"My Lord," The blonde, Lucius Malfoy began as he stepped forward still in his bow.
She nodded her head, with a sinister smile designed to scare him. Her most trusted had to be scared into not betraying her after all. Even though, if they were real Slytherins or at least had half a brain they would say with her – the winning side.
"Yes Lucius?"
The Malfoy head looked at his shoes, yes, the man knew of his betters. "The Potter girl, My Lord, she didn't come foreword at the death of the Mudblood boy."
She sneered, the girl, she admitted, had surprised her on that one. She had expected the girl in her foolish bravo to go and save her classmate – she'd even chosen one that she had to have known to draw her out.
Dean Thomas. Although it appeared, that the girl was more cold hearted then she gave her credit for. Either that or she hadn't heard.
Her eyes narrowed at her follower. "I'm sorry, My Lord, we shall do better next time."
"Next time?" She asked softly. "That's if you last to next time."
"My Lord?" He asked his voice quivering with fear – just how she liked it.
"Crucio!"
"Rose! Rose! Rosie! Wake up! It's just a dream, wake up!"
Rose's eyes flew open, to Hermione hovering over her. Rose glanced around; Ron was with Haku going over what looked like to be a sheet of paper.
What had just happened? Nothing like that had happened for a long time. She knew what had happened, she had slipped into Voldemort's mind again. This time he didn't seem to realise it.
This only happened to her when she was too tired to fight it off. When she didn't have the power too, evidently, she had used too much fighting the snake.
The connection between her and Voldemort was very fragile. It took allot of concentration and always being able to have the power ready to fight her way out and block her mind off. But this time she hadn't been able too.
Something like this hadn't happened since she was sixteen. She'd stopped them. She couldn't let herself fall into his mind again; it was much too dangerous for her.
Rose's eyes widened again, as she recalled the dream. Dean. He'd killed Dean in an effort to draw her out. Rose balled her hand into a fist.
She needed to hurry up, this was a war and she was losing.
"Rose! Rosie, what happened?" Hermione asked her softly, concerned.
Rose looked up at Hermione she could feel tears in her eyes. Someone else had died for her, again. "Dean, he killed Dean, Hermione! He killed him to draw me out! We – we need to hurry up."
Hermione's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Rose? You didn't go into his mind again did you Rose? You know how dangerous that can be!"
"Of course I know!" Rose snapped. "I didn't mean to! But he's pissed Hermione. We need to stop him."