Chapter 26: I Visit The Beach

(Hugo)

Without much else to do, I relived incident that had put me in this state- be it paralysation, death or a coma- over and over again.

First I felt a surge of power. I felt like I could take on an entire army. That was when I was first leaving my body and traveling into Code's mind. Once I actually reached Code's mind I began to feel sick and uneasy

I knew Scorpius was trying to talk to me but I couldn't exactly hear the words. It was like trying to hear through a thick door.

Then suddenly I was in front a house. A crappy looks-like-it-was-going to-collapse-can't-even-call-it a-structure type of house. I stepped inside. It wasn't any better in there. Garbage laid around everywhere. It looked like a layer of dust that must've been formed over years was all over everything. The furniture had scratches and holes in it. If I hadn't known any better I would've said the house was abandoned.

But I did know better. I knew exactly who this house belonged to. Ryan Code.

Scorpius had explained to me that everyone had a central part of your brain where all information was stored. It was usually something that held significance to your childhood. That's where someone would appear when they mind-walked. Or if you use Legilimency on a person who's not thinking of a particular memory.

"Kind of a dump," I muttered running my finger along a dusty table.

I walked through the house trying to find something, anything. Scorpius had also said that there should be memories sort of hidden everywhere. That if you looked hard enough you could find them. The more recent the memory, the less hidden it would be. So what I was looking for, the memory about the wand, shouldn't be hard to find at all.

I didn't exactly know where to search. I hadn't been told where to look for anything, just that I should look hard. So, feeling kind of stupid, I started looking under tables, turning over couch cushions, but to no avail.

I sat down on the couch and sighed. I couldn't find anything, and Code was must've been aware that I was here now.

What else was I supposed to do? I'd looked everywhere! The only thing I hadn't done was break things open.

I tried to think back to my conversation with Scorpius about advice. There hadn't been much in the book about how to find people's memories, but the guy who discovered Mind-Walking had compared people's minds to Ravenclaws. Even the most idiotic person had a mind designed like a Ravenclaw he said. Everything was hidden in a way that's sort of like a puzzle. It's difficult to find, but not in the sense that you can't see it, more like it's hidden in plain sight and you just really have to think about it.

I stared at the table in front of the couch. Sitting on it, along with a bunch of candy wrapper and chip bags, was a TV remote. I shrugged figuring I had nothing to lose. I clicked on the TV and to my surprise something started playing.

Claire Code and Ryan Code were on the screen and they seemed to be arguing about something. They were in some sort of house, but I couldn't really tell where.

"Don't lie to me, Ryan!" shouted Claire. "I'm not going to fall for it."

"Fine!" Ryan replied exasperated. "I have the wand. But there's no way in hell I'm giving it to you!"

"It's the only way I can become a wizard!" Claire whined.

"No, it's the only way you can use magic to destroy the world." Ryan put his hands and his sister's shoulder's and gave her a push. "You'll always be a squib!"

Claire, who had fallen to the ground stood up and threw an angry punch at Code. He laughed and deflected it easily. "You'll always be a squib."

Claire crossed her arms and pouted. "If you don't give it to me, I'll tell Daddy!"

"This isn't about Father anymore," Code snapped. "Don't you get it? I'm done with all of you!"

Claire stepped back, shocked and offended. "You won't get anywhere without us. Daddy won't let you leave."

"Well, Daddy, can go-" Code said a very bad word "-himself."

Claire gasped and ran away, presumably to tell their father.

The screen went black for a second, then a box came up. New episode uploaded, would you like to watch?

I used the remote to click yes.

Code appeared to be in the same spot, in some sort of house, perhaps the Malfoy manor, but this time he was with Marlo.

"I was just informed that Amycus Carrow and his daughter had set their plan in motion," Marlo said, sitting beside Code on a couch.

"Huh?" Code said distractedly. "What plan?"

"The plan where she uses the Persuasive potion to convince James to go to the maze…" He stared at Code and when Code didn't respond he said jokingly, "You look like you're ready to kill someone."

"Don't joke about that," he muttered. "I really wish I could avoid death."

"You mean you wish you could avoid killing or dying?"

"Both. I hate it." Code's voice sounded choked up. "I wish death didn't exist."

Marlo put a reassuring hand on Code's shoulder. "I know you don't mean that."

Code shrugged. "Not totally," he said, sounding like a young child. Someone much too young to have lost- and taken- so much. "But I wish death didn't take Lauren. Or the Weasleys."

Marlo nodded. "You're really broken up about that," he observed.

"I never mean to hurt them." He clenched his hand in a fist. "It was all Claire's fault."

"I've been trying to help her," Marlo said sadly. It was the first time I'd really seen him show emotion. I'd been beginning to wonder if he was a sociopath. "It hasn't worked. She's set on using that wand to-to… well I don't even know what. Take over the world or something."

Code snorted. "She's like the classic bad guy with no backstory or motives. Just hates life and wants to take over the world."

"She's not evil," Marlo insisted. "And she doesn't hate life. She just… really takes joy in ruining other people's lives."

"She's a psychopath."

Marlo opened his mouth to argue then closed it and sighed. "Yes. But that doesn't mean she's evil, just that she needs help."

"You've tried to help. She's unhealable. We should just lock her up and leave her there."

Marlo clenched his teeth and balled his fists. "Try that and you'll have to answer to me."

Code smirked. "What's a squib like you going to do?" he taunted.

"A half wizard with the Elder Wand beats a full wizard with a flimsy stick," growled Marlo holding up the Elder Wand in his hand.

Code's jaw hung open. "How did you get that?" he demanded.

"When you live on the streets you develop the helpful skill of pickpocketing," Marlo said easily, tossing the wand back to Code who caught it. "And remember if I don't like the way you're acting, I can do it again."

"I'll hide it."

"I'll find it."

"I won't let you come back."

"I won't listen."

"We'll move somewhere else."

"I'll find you," Marlo said, voice strong and convincing enough that even Code was rendered silent. "Now," he said. "What are your intentions?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Code said crossing his arms and moving away from Marlo.

"You're right, you don't." Marlo moved closer to him. "But I might be the only one willing to listen."

Code sighed. "You know what I'm going to do. I'm going to give it to Voldemort."

"That's what Claire wants to do as well."

"Claire wants to give the wand to Voldemort and see what happens. She doesn't have a plan except to cause as much chaos as possible. I want to use Voldemort to… to…" Code stopped and he looked upset.

"You don't seem to want to raise Voldemort at all. Not like Claire at least. She's over the moon about the idea."

"I know," Code muttered. "And I just don't feel that way. I mean, I had wanted to at one point, but I was young then. I was just doing what my father told me. I don't want to raise Voldemort at all."

"Then don't. Snap the wand in half. It's way too powerful to be on this Earth anyway."

"I wish I could. But even the way he is Voldemort can come back. He's sort of in spirit form and if we don't bring him the wand, he'll find some poor sucker to make the potion Peter Pettigrew did for him and bring him fully back to life. If I don't raise him myself he'll be fully in control. And then it'll be like the first two wars. I can't let that happen. I have to do this."

"Sounds like an awful big weight on your shoulders," Marlo said sympathetically.

"I know."

"You know, carrying a weight like that can only end in two ways, you either grow too tired and it crushes you, or you drain yourself and all your energy carrying this weight until it's lifted off your shoulders, but you never truly forget it. You're never the same after. Because it's like a ghost of the weight is always there. My point is there's no good outcome here, Ryan."

Code smiled sadly. "Marlo," he said and his voice sounded so old, thousands of years old, "Did you really think I expected to be anything when this was over? After this, I'm done. I'm out. I'll have done what I needed to do and I'll reunite with my sister."

Marlo stared at him, shock and disappointment and sadness all etched onto his face. "You can't," he said quietly.

"You've heard me say that killing James Potter is my mission. It's my purpose. And when you're done with your purpose what is there left to do with your life?"

The screen turned black again. This time no box appeared. I sat for a minute trying to take in everything I'd just heard. I had to get back to tell Scorpius and Rose!

Just as I was thinking how to get out of here Code burst through the door.

"You think you can come in here and invade my mind?!" he boomed.

"I-I uh, I-" I stammered scared by the look on Code's face. He looked utterly exhausted and completely done. It was terrifying.

Code waved his hand through the air and I was flown across the room. I smashed into the table that the TV was on and it fell on top of me.

That's when the blackness encircled me.

It just kept replaying in my mind. Especially my pathetic defeat. Code had merely swatted me like a bug and I was gone. Now who knows where I was. Was it so dark because my eyes were closed and I was in a coffin? Was I in a hospital bed while Lily cried at my side, begging me to wake up?

And I needed to tell Scorpius and Rose! I needed to warn James someone was going to use the Persuasive Potion against him. What evil thing was Code planning? And Amycus Carrow? He was supposed to be dead!

I'd been doing a lot of thinking and the only conclusion I could come to was that Mr. Joe was Amycus Carrow. And Melissa Young, the girl Cassidy said was Mystie, was his daughter. And she was going to trick James into doing something?

But what was that something? I wished I could help. I wished I could warn him. But all I could do was sit here. I was even more helpless now than I had ever been. So much for being the hero.

(James)

I wandered around the maze waiting for my opportunity. I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to be doing here. Well, I knew what I was supposed to be doing but I didn't know why. I didn't know why I was supposed to be doing it or why I was. It was like something was forcing me to do what I was doing. Like a voice in my head whispering that I needed to do this.

And so I did.

Melissa- or Megan I still didn't know what to call her- kept saying there were plans, but she wouldn't tell me what. In fact I didn't even think she exactly knew what herself. But whatever it was it had something to do with Code. Which meant I should be running. Or at least I should find him… I should go fight him. But there was that voice in my head telling me I couldn't.

And so instead I ran around fighting off boggarts and Acromantula. I tried to keep my mind off Code and Melissa, but really they were consuming my thoughts.

Had Code gotten the wand? If so what was he planning on doing with it? Why did he need it so bad? If he wanted to destroy me and only me then what did he need the elder wand for? He had chances to kill me. He could've done it while I was sleeping in the same dorm as him!

The only logical conclusion I could think of was that he was preparing some elaborate presentation with the main show being my death. He'd start with causing me as much emotional pain as possible. Making me watch my family die in a fire that I caused, driving me insane by breaking into my mind. Then it'd be the physical pain. Torture, no doubt. He'd probably break every bone in my body. Resort to unforgivable curses even. And then he'd kill me. But I had a feeling it wouldn't be by a simple killing curse. Or even magic at all. No, he'd kill me the way he thought I should've been killed all those years ago. He'd kill me with one of my worst fears. He'd kill me by drowning me.

I'd gotten so distracted in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the boggart in front of me. It took the form of exactly what I was thinking about. Code throwing me a deep pool of water. Laughing as I thrashed around. Begging someone, anyone to save me.

I shut my eyes tight. No. I would not go like that. If I drowned I would try my best to get off. I'd hold off until someone could help or I could save myself. But I would not beg for anything. Never.

I opened my eyes and this time it was Albus and Lily in the water. I was standing at the very edge watching. I couldn't jump in and save them. I could barely keep myself afloat in the water. Whenever I went swimming I had to use a buoyancy charm, which was embarrassing, and the reason I never went swam. I checked my pocket for my wand but it wasn't there. I noticed Code standing atop a hill, twirling my wand between his fingers, smiling.

"Watcha gonna do, James?" he taunted. "How're you gonna save them?"

I was about to cast the spell Riddikulus to make the boggart go away, but then I realised something. Boggarts don't talk.

"Get out of my head Code!" I screamed, falling to my knees covering my ears with my hands. "Get out!"

The scene disappeared. Suddenly I was on a beach.

"Remember this place, James?" asked Code.

I turned around looking for him, but I couldn't spot him. Finally I sighed. "It's the beach where your sister died."

"Where you killed my sister," he corrected voice trembling with anger. He took a calming breath. "Let's watch, shall we?"

People appeared everywhere. I saw my own family getting out of the muggle car.

"Lemme out, lemme out, lemme out!" screamed a little James kicking and screaming in his car seat.

"Beach," said a four-year old Albus peering out the window.

"Beach," echoed little Lily. "Al, it beach!"

"Yeah, Lils, it's a beach," said Al affectionately, giving his little sister a hug.

"You're gonna have fun, Lily," James told his sister. "I'll even teach you how to swim."

"Yay!" cheered Lily.

"I bet I can swim faster than you, Jamie," Al challenged.

"No way," James disagreed. "I'm the fastest swimmer ever!"

Mum and Dad came and let us out of our car seats. I watched my young self immediately run over to the water.

"James!" Mum shouted. "You need a life jacket!"

Since it was a muggle beach she used the muggle term appose to buoyancy charm.

"I don't need anything!" James shouted back. "I'm not a baby like Albee!"

"Hey!" protested Al. "I am not a baby."

"Are to!" James argued. "You're only four. I'm a whole two years older than you."

"Doesn't mean I'm a baby," Al said, a little less convincingly.

"I bet you can't even beat me to the water," James taunted.

James, who was much closer to the water than Al, was began running. Al made a big pouty face and suddenly James was standing slightly behind him, face first in the dirt. A burst of accidental magic.

James looked very annoyed. "You cheated!"

"Did not!" shouted Al who already had his life-jacket on and was running towards the water.

James was about to keep running when Ginny grabbed his arm. "Not without a life jacket, James."

"No fair!" yelled the young boy.

I stared watching. Knowing what was going to happen I wished I had listened. I wished I hadn't insisted that life jackets were only for babies. Because if I hadn't I could've been a kid. I could've lived a normal life. My parents would still be alive. I wouldn't constantly be in fear that someone I loved was going to get hurt.

Mum tugged the life jacket over a very unwilling James' head. "Now you can go have fun," she said letting go of James.

James ran toward the water which Al was already playing in. "James," a voice said from behind him.

He turned to see Ryan Code running toward him. "Ryan!" James greeted. He noticed the boy didn't have a life jacket on. James took his off. "Let's go play."

Lauren Code was just behind us. We ran towards the water and dived in once it was deep enough. Albus was playing near the shore with Lily.

Code noticed James watching Albus. "You're not going to play with your baby brother and sister are you?"

"No," James said bravely. "I want to swim to the dock."

The dock wasn't that far out. Not for me anyway. But for a six-year old it was a long tiring swim. "Good," Ryan said. "Let's go."

And so they swam. Lauren was following them, slightly further behind. I watched anxiously waiting for the moment when… it happened.

They finally made it to the dock. I looked at the shore and noticed Harry was diving in the water holding a life jacket. He was probably shouting, but he was still too far for James to see him.

Ryan jumped off the dock first. He safely made it back to the dock and climbed up the ladder. "Your turn, James," he said.

James looked at the water. I could tell how nervous he was. "I, uh-"

"C'mon, James, you're not a baby are you?" Ryan teased. "Why don't you go play with your brother and sister? This dock is for big kids only."

"I am a big kid!" James insisted. And with that he jumped off the dock.

"No!" I shouted.

My view was taken underwater. I saw James thrashing trying to get back to the surface, unsure which way was up or down or left or right. He held his breath, but it would only be so long before he couldn't hold it anymore.

And then Lauren Code came. She grabbed James and pushed him in the right direction, toward the surface. James continued waving his arms and kicking his legs frantically. Slowly he was making his way to the surface. And Lauren was helping him. Until one of James' frantic kicks hit Lauren, right in the head, pushing her downwards.

I wanted to save her. I tried to hold out my hand to her but I remembered I was merely visiting this memory. I was more like a ghost. I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see anymore.

"You can open your eyes now, James," said Code's voice, cold as ice.

I did and I was back in the dark dank maze. I never thought I'd be relieved to be in a place so unpleasant filled with monsters that were trying to hurt me.

"You had forgotten that memory," Code observed. "Didn't you?"

"It's not something I take pride in remembering," I replied.

"How does it feel to be a murderer?" asked Code.

"I could ask you the same question!"

Something flashed in Code's eyes- remorse maybe? But it was gone a second later. "I haven't killed anyone yet. My sister has."

"You don't have to hold the wand to their throat to be a murder, Code. My family's blood is on your hands."

"Your family's blood is on your hands!" Code shouted. "If you hadn't killed my sister we could've been friends."

"You're a psychopath!" I retorted. "I'd never want to be friends with you!"

"I wasn't before you killed my sister!" he snapped. "I don't even care that you ruined my life. But why'd you have to take hers?"

I saw tears form in Code's eyes and for the first time in my life, I felt bad for him.

"I'm sorry," I said, surprising myself. I never apologized, definitely not to an enemy. But I realised that I truly meant it. "Not for hurting you, but for hurting you sister."

"Killing," Code snapped. "Killing my sister." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The tears were gone, replaced by the usual emptiness. "Doesn't matter. It's too late anyway." Code took his wand out of his pocket. "And for the record, I'm not sorry for anything."

A/N: Hey, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

1: Sorry guys but I couldn't manage to finish the book. I have one scene left and I could've finished it but I wouldn't have been able to edit everything in time. So anyway the next update is between August 17th-20th.

2: So you've finally found out the whole story about how Lauren Code died. What'd you guys think?

3: QotC: What do you guys think of Code right now? Now that you know more about him, do you still view him as evil? Or even a bad guy?

Is Hugo going to be okay? What's wrong with him? What's Code going to do now that he's having second thoughts? Will Claire succeed in getting the wand from him? Who's the Master of the Wand at the moment? How will they deal with that? What does Code want with James? Why is he torturing him? Is James' prediction of how Code is going to kill him correct?

"A simple child/ that lightly draws breath/ And feels its life in every limb/ What should it know of death?" Wordsworth.

-Monkeywoman14