Chapter 4

As an enthusiastic Horace Slughorn made his way through the crowded streets of New York City, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. He had never been to America before, and he was fascinated by everything he saw. He marveled at the tall buildings and the rushing crowds, taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

He had always considered coming to America, but figured he never had the time. He chuckled himself about the irony of finally visiting a place he always wanted to in such dire times.

He had spent the last few weeks living in muggle homes, trying to stay out of sight and avoid attracting attention. He had been careful not to use magic, knowing that he had to be extra cautious in a city full of muggles. Slughorn was starting to really struggle living with minimal magic usage, so after weighing his options, he decided to make his way into the magical community hidden within New York City.

His magical intuition, a seemingly sixth sense that all wizards possess, led him to a large brick wall in an alley. This sense that magically attuned individuals have that allows them to follow magical reminisces in the air is, ironically, how he is being tracked by Yaxley. Drawing his wand he tapped on bricks, and magically, they shifted out of his way and formed a beautiful archway.

Slughorn walked through and was once again back in his own world. He made his way to The Mermaid's Tear, a famous wizarding bar that had always been a hub of activity. He remembered a former student of his being the son of the owner and had heard from him that it was the best place to go to get his bearings and find out what was going on. As he stepped through the door, he was greeted by a lively, boisterous atmosphere.

He made his way to the bar, feeling a little self-conscious as he approached. He knew that he looked out of place, and he was worried that he wouldn't fit in. But as he approached the bar, he was greeted by a friendly bartender who introduced herself as Bella.

"What can I get for you?" she asked, smiling politely.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, feeling a little sheepish. "I've never been here before. What do you recommend?"

Bella chuckled. "Well, it's a bar, so I'd recommend a pint of ale or a glass of wine. But we also have a great selection of cocktails and if you're not in the mood for something strong."

Horace nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. "I'll have a pint of ale, I think. Thank you."

As Bella poured his drink, she continued, "never been here before, eh? Then you must not be from the city. Everyone from NYC frequents this place."

Horace nodded in the affirmative, not paying her much attention anymore. He looked around, taking in the lively atmosphere of the bar. He saw all sorts of people, from rough-looking wizards and witches to well-dressed professionals. He wondered what their stories were, and he felt a sense of curiosity and longing.

He took a sip of his ale, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the cool, refreshing liquid flowed down his throat. He had always enjoyed a good pint, and he was glad to finally be able to imbibe in one.

As he sat at the bar, he couldn't help but overhear the conversations around him. He heard people talking about all sorts of things, from the latest magical discoveries to the dark days of the war. He felt a sense of awe and wonder, knowing that he was finally part of the wizarding world again.

As he finished his drink, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a young witch standing behind him, a friendly smile on her face.

"Hi there," she said. "I couldn't help but overhear you're new in town. Are you looking for a place to stay?" A young, beautiful witch with white hair and gray eyes was smiling at him.

Horace hesitated, unsure of what to say. He had been living in muggle houses and cheap wizarding taverns for the past few months, and he was desperate for a place to call his own.

"Yes, I am," he said. "I'm not sure where to start."

The young witch smiled. "Well, I might be able to help. I have a couch that you can crash on for 10 galleons a night. It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

Slughorn was overjoyed. He had been worried about finding a place to stay, and this seemed like the perfect solution.

"That would be wonderful," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you so much."

The witch grinned back. "No problem. I need to save up some cash, I plan on traveling myself pretty soon. My name is Lily, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Lily," Slughorn said, feeling a sense of gratitude and relief wash over him. "Thank you again."

As they walked back to Lily's apartment, Horace couldn't help but feel grateful for her kindness. He had been on the run for so long, and he was relieved to finally have a place to stay.

They made it back to her building rather quickly, entered through the front door and started up 3 flights of stairs.

"So, what brings you to New York?" Lily asked, glancing over at him as they climbed. "I'm just here for a few months, just trying to get away from the chaos of Europe." Horace immediately hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal, or if that statement already revealed too much. "I just left London," he said, choosing his words carefully, correcting his quickness to overshare. "That is all."

"Hm," Lily said as they entered the apartment from the hallway.

As soon as they walked into Lily's apartment, Horace felt the tip of her wand pressing into the back of his neck.

"It sounds like you were trying to flee from the Dark Lord," Lily said, her voice cold. "Is that true?" Forcing him through the doorway, wand tip digging into the back of his neck, red hot.

Horace winced in pain. He glanced around the room before responding.

What he saw made his stomach. The walls were adorned with dark tapestries and paintings depicting scenes of death and destruction. On a bookshelf in the corner, he saw a collection of ancient tomes bound in black leather, their titles written in a language he didn't recognize. There was a framed picture on the wall of Lily being embraced by a young, handsome wizard, as they smiled at the camera.

In the center of the room stood a large stone fireplace, its flames flickering ominously. And on the table in the corner, Horace saw what looked like a fetus suspended about 6 inches in the air, rotating in its place. Lily was clearly deranged and deeply fascinated by the dark arts.

"No, I wasn't trying to flee," Horace said, trying to talk his way out of the situation. "I just, you know, needed a change of scenery."

Lily didn't seem convinced. "It sounds to me like you were running from something," she said, her voice hard. "And what would someone ever want to hide from over the pond?" she asked sarcastically.

Horace's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of the situation. He had been a fool to trust Lily, and he regretted his loose lips.

"Look, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," he said, trying to sound sincere. "I really am just looking for a change of scenery. I promise you, I'm not running from anything."

"I don't believe you," she said, her voice cold and monotone. "It seems to me that you are running from the Dark Lord himself, yes. I have admired his work for sometime and have been saving up to go and try to join his ranks. Surely if I bring a blood trader like you with me, he will embrace me with open arms."

There was a pause.

"I-" Horace started.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Lily shouted

With this Horace knew what he had to do. He spun around on his spot and drew out his wand in one swift motion. Red sparks flew from his wand into her face.

She recovered quickly and a bolt of blue light shot from Lily's wand, and Horace barely had time to react. He shouted, "Protego!" and a shield appeared in front of him, deflecting the spell.

A burst of green light flew towards Horace, and he narrowly avoided it, diving to the side. "Expelliarmus!" she shouted, trying to disarm Horace.

Horace's wand flew out of his hand, and he quickly summoned it back to him with a flick of his wrist. He was surprised by the young witches power.

This angered Lily and she started casting more and more lethal spells.

As they continued to duel, the surrounding apartment began to get destroyed in the process. Furniture was smashed, walls were dented, and objects flew through the air as the magic flew back and forth. Horace could feel the heat of the spells as they passed by him, narrowly missing their intended target.

Lily lifted a nearby table and sent it flying towards Horace. He shouted, "Finite Incantatem!" and the table stopped in midair, hovering in place.

But Lily wasn't done yet. She lifted more and more objects, throwing them at Horace with all her might. Horace did his best to block them, using various spells to deflect them.

But despite his best efforts, Horace couldn't keep up with Lily's relentless barrage of objects. One of them, a bottle, broke over his head, shattering and cutting deep into his scalp. Horace gritted his teeth, determined to keep fighting. Blood dripped from the open wounds on his face, cursing under his breath.

Lily was a skilled opponent, and Horace knew that he had to be on his guard at all times. He shouted, "Impervius!" and a shield appeared around him, protecting him from Lily's spells.

But despite his best efforts, Horace couldn't keep up with Lily's relentless barrage of curses. One of them grazed his face, cutting his cheek and drawing even more blood. Horace gritted his teeth, determined to keep fighting.

The air was thick with the smell of burnt ozone, and the floor shook with the force of the spells, "CRUCI-" Lily started.

Reacting instantly to just the sound of the first syllable of the cruciatus curse, Slughorn summoned all of his strength and shouted, "Frigidus et oriri".

Lily flew off the ground, her wand arm extended as she tried to aim at Horace. But Horace was ready for her, and he shouted, "Finite!" causing her to freeze in midair, suspending in a full body bind about three feet off the ground. Only her head can move.

Horace walked over to her, his wand still trained on her. He looked at her with a mix of anger and sadness. "I never wanted to hurt anyone," he said. "But I can't let you bring me to Voldemort. I won't be a pawn in his game."

Lily glared at him, her eyes filled with hatred. "You'll regret this," she hissed, blood trickling from her ear and her left eye swollen nearly shut.

But Slughorn just sighed and shook his head. "I already do, my dear girl" he said solemnly. He then waved his wand multiple times counter clockwise, and Lily flew back out of the apartment, crashing through the window and disappearing into the night.

As Slughorn prepared to disapparate from Lily's apartment, he heard the sound of footsteps pounding down the hallway. Before he could even react, the door burst open and a short handsome man, who was assumed to be Lily's boyfriend from the photograph stormed into the room.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" he yelled, his eyes blazing with anger.

Horace was too weak to fight again, so rather than respond he attempted to disapparate. The boyfriend saw what he was doing and lunged at him, grabbing hold of Slughorn's robes and traveling with him.

As Horace and Lily's boyfriend Disapparated out of the apartment, they found themselves locked in a fierce struggle as they tumbled through the sky. They clawed and punched at each other, their hair tangled together as they fought to gain the upper hand.

The two men fell through the air, their magic locked in a battle as they fought to break free. But as they hurtled towards the ground, it became clear that they were evenly matched, and neither one was able to gain the advantage.

Finally, with a loud thud, they were both dumped into an empty field, panting and bruised from their rough landing. Both men quickly sprant to their feet, neither knowing where they were, nor caring.

Slughorn still did not want to fight, but he looked into the pale deranged face of the young man and knew he now had no choice.

He immediately went to disarm the boy, but not fast enough. He dodged Slughorn's spells and retaliated with a series of dark curses. Slughorn felt the sting of each one as they struck his skin, blisters formed under his robes, but he didn't let it slow him down.

As the two wizards battled, the field around them was left in ruins. The grass was scorched and blackened by the powerful spells being cast, and the air was filled with the smell of smoke and magic.

Slughorn saw an opening and seized it, casting a bone breaker spell at the boy's wand hand. In the heat of the moment he had put far more magic behind it then he meant to and his hand exploded in a show of colorful sparks, flesh and bone fragments.. The boy let out a scream of agony as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain and cursing.

But even with one hand, he was far from defeated. He summoned his wand back to his uninjured hand and continued the fight, fueled by anger and a desire for revenge.

The boy screamed an incantation that Horace recognized as fiend fire. He was taken aback that such a young wizard would know such dark magic, he then bore witness to a truly gruesome display of poetic justice.

Fiend Fire is a very difficult spell to cast under normal circumstances, but when you are not using your dominant hand it would be nearly impossible. As a result of his attempt the boyfriend was engulfed in flames that shot from his own wand. The folded backwards on themselves, swallowing his battle dark figure instantly, his body burning alive as he fell to the ground.

As the flames died down, Horace stood panting and sweating in the center of the field, surrounded by the smoldering remains of his opponent. He knew he had to get out of there before any more trouble found him, and with one last glance at the charred corpse, he shed a tear for the loss of life. He then fell to the ground, unconscious.