They thought
she was asleep. Even as her eyelids
fluttered and her eyebrows furrowed and her breath came in odd gasps, much
unlike the even breathing of sleep, they thought she was asleep. Peeking through the curtains once last time,
Hermione nodded, satisfied, and beckoned Ron and Harry down to dinner. Maddie smiled ruefully as she heard the door
click shut behind them. The crumpled
stack of parchment under the pillow was suddenly foremost in her mind again,
and she sadly pulled it out, staring at the shaky handwriting curiously,
wondering if it was real. Deciding it
was, she laid the different pieces down in their spaces, and fussed with her
things in her corner. When everything
was finally finished, Maddie sighed and waved goodbye to the happy little room,
then slipped out the door. With any
luck, they wouldn't notice her absence for some time. How far could she get in some time? Probably not far enough.
(*)
Hermione,
Ron and Harry slipped into the Great Hall preoccupied. George and Fred were somewhat happily
munching on beef Wellington, talking about a recent Transfiguration test that
they had both failed. On seeing
Hermione, they changed the topic of conversation quickly to avoid a lecture,
but she looked like grades were the last thing on her mind. Inwardly sighing, George questioningly
raised his eyebrows and Hermione plopped down like a little old lady. Ron worriedly ran his fingers up and down
her backbone, and she laid her head in her arms, allowing him to send her into
waves of ecstasy with tingling chills.
Harry quickly filled George in on the run-in with Elisabeth
Whitney. George set down his fork.
"Poor
girl," he said tiredly, and Harry looked uncertain.
"Maddie
or Elisabeth?"
"Both." George's tone was sad and final.
"Oh...I
see." Hermione was now asleep at
the table, but Ron was still stroking her back and upper neck absentmindedly,
as if trying to get the relaxed feeling a good backrub gives transferred to
himself. Harry was picking at his beef
Wellington, taking the choice bits out with fork, leaving the pastry crust on
his plate for the house-elves to clean up.
Finally, Fred broke the silence.
"Should
we go and see how she's taking it?"
He sounded forcibly light, and Harry was sure he was thinking of the
last time they had left Maddie alone after a trying experience. His thoughts taking the same vein in an
instant, George nodded and stood up.
Hermione awoke, and Ron shushed her back to sleep, indicating that he
would stay down with her. Harry decided
to stay as well, but he crossed his fingers under the table as he watched the
backs of two brilliant heads hurrying away.
Wherever Maddie was, a little extra luck could never hurt.
(*)
The
air was very chilly around the large black spiral. It was back now, but Maddie would never go and summon her
friends. What if someone decided to
give her another warning? What if
another curse flew astray? No, she felt
much safer alone than she ever had before, and she ignored a furious flipping
feeling in her stomach as she whispered, "Norax," into the
night. Familiar whooshing sounds and
odd music filled the air, and the ominous staircase appeared once more. Maddie smiled to herself, remembering the
excitement and anticipation she had felt the first time she braved this alone. Remembering also the group that had been
waiting for her at the top, the smile disappeared and Maddie plunged herself
into the darkness, wondering when the light would come again.
(*)
My
Dreams For You
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
Get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the chance to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
George, please dance...together forever whatever we weather
Squirt
George
stared at the crumpled paper, written in shimmery green ink in a shaky
hand. It was so random...touching, but
random. He thought those words sounded familiar-
had he heard her singing them before?
At any rate, the inspiring mantra she had left on his pillow gave him an
uneasy feeling in his stomach, and he poked his head out to see what Fred was
doing. His heart dropped.
Maddie's
normally haphazard corner of the room was neater than it had ever been before
she moved in. Her belongs had been
cleaned up from all areas of the room, neatly folded and packed carefully in
her large steamer trunk, which was pushed up against the wall. Her blankets and bedding were folded up and
stacked on the edge of her chaise lounge.
There was nothing at all to show the signs of the wild teenage girl who
had resided there for nearly a year now.
Except for a second scroll of shabby parchment, which Fred was reading
with a horrified expression.
"What? Fred, what is that?" George's voice was sharp and high, and Fred
handed it over to him, shaking like a leaf.
It was written in the same wavering hand with the same shimmery ink, and
the words there only deepened George's feeling of total discomfort. It started something like this.
Fred-
All of my prankster materials, including the Otter Pitts Collection
Kurt- My CD collection, even the ones he hates :)
Ginny- My Muggle clothes (I know you'll find them
interesting)
It
continued in that way for some time, light and happy and almost, George noted
bitterly, reminiscent. Finally, after
nearly three feet of the distribution of her belongings, Maddie left a note at
the end.
George- My heart, and all it's love
To whoever finds this: it's just in case
He
was shaking now, a furious motion to rival Fred's. They stared at each other, and Fred saw something in George's
eyes, something far away from what he had expected. Determination and stubbornness were burning in his pupils, and
Fred stood up quickly to follow his twin.
"Where
are we going?" he asked as they sprinted down the stairs. George didn't answer, just stormed through
the drafty corridors until they reached the Great Hall, where Ron, Hermione and
Harry were lazily chatting over hot drinks brought out by Dobby and
friends. George towered over the table,
slamming his palms down so abruptly that hot chocolate flew everywhere.
"What
was that all abo-” Ron began to exclaim, but George cut him off with a growl.
"I
need the Marauder’s Map. Now."
(*)
Hermione
studied the slips of paper critically.
She read the will and the rather personal goodbye to George and was very
confused by the whole thing. It seemed
as if Elisabeth's rude awakening had more effect than they thought. George was scanning the map with Ron and
Harry peering curiously over his shoulders.
Fred was pacing back and forth, rifling through Maddie's trunk idly,
seeing the neatly packed items as if in a new light. Everyone was very quiet, as if they were in a sacred place, until
George broke the reverie with a loud shout.
"She's
nowhere on here!" he raged. Harry
and Ron nervously took a few steps back, but Hermione sensibly stepped forward
and removed the paper from his hands.
"Well,
we'll just have to...go to Dumbledore?"
"No!"
broke in George, and Fred nodded his agreement.
"Going
to Dumbledore sounds a little bit...drastic, don't you think? I mean...there are probably ways that you
can trick the Marauder's Map, right? So
maybe she's hiding somewhere in the castle and we can't see!" Fred looked hopeful, but Hermione was
dubious, and shrugged as she handed the map over.
"Let's
divide to place up, and we can check it out, okay?" Ron and Harry took hold of the map and
quickly sectioned the massive structure of Hogwarts.
"Give
Fred and I some of the restricted areas," suggested George from where he
was pulling on a sweater under his robes.
A pang of regret hit him as he breathed in and right away knew that
Maddie had worn this sweater last. That
wonderful Maddie smell that he still couldn't name was hanging right beneath
his nose, and he blinked hard, returning to the group to retrieve his
assignment.
"Okay,
old boy, we've got to go check the Astronomy Tower, the teacher's offices and
the attic/dungeon rooms,” Fred sounded oddly...cheerful? Detached.
George breathed in deeply and scowled.
"What're
you so happy about?" he asked sullenly as they sprinted down the steps,
through the noisy common room. Fred
sent him a side-glance and ignored the Fat Lady's questions about where they
were going.
"This
is nothing but another adventure, George.
Pretend we're going to bomb Filch's office- believe me, it
works." George was quiet for a
moment, thinking about how long it had been since he had had a regular,
plain-old-mischief-making evening.
Slowly that same old feeling came back, and he turned to his twin with a
ghost of a grin that Fred hadn't seen the likes of for awhile.
"Well
then, let's get cracking."
(*)
Ron
groaned as Hermione stepped on his foot underneath the Invisibility cloak. Hermione had insisted in the extra
precaution owing to the nature of the classrooms they were searching. The rooms they had been given were the ones
that people occupied everyday and even in the night evening hours, everyone
agreed that students might be studying late.
They were moving rather quickly, and there had been absolutely no sign
of Maddie yet. In the Defense Against
the Dark Arts classroom, Harry groaned and ripped the cloak off his head,
making Hermione gasp.
"Harry!"
"Hermione,
I can't breathe, and no one's in here anyway.
Especially not Maddie."
Hermione frowned and nodded, perching herself on one of the desks with a
plop of exasperation. Ron slipped up
behind her and Harry sat on the chair.
"I
knew she wouldn't be. But Fred and
George seemed rather set on searching."
Ron nodded.
"I've
never seen George like this EVER before.
He was seeing Alicia Spinnet for some time in his fifth year, and last
year he had a bit for that Ravenclaw prefect, Lucy Brierly, but he's never been
so...into it." Harry nodded and
Hermione shrugged.
"Well,
I guess we better get moving," said Hermione, getting off the desk. Ron, who had been leaning against her, fell
forward, then quickly got up. Harry
joined his friends in the center of the room, and Hermione pulled the cloak
over all of them. "We've still got several rooms to go, and then we've got
to go meet the boys later on."
The
awkward group began to travel down the hallway, hissing at each other to slow
down or speed up. As they tripped their
way into the night, the subject of their search obliviously continued on her
journey through a similar labyrinth of hallways. She stumbled into a cold darkness that was far more mysterious than
that of her friends, who were trying so desperately to save her so very far
away.
(*)
"Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing,
NOTHING!" Ron angrily recapped
Fred and George's report of their scan, but the boys looked very much so
undaunted. Hermione looked close to
sleep as she slouched against the back of the couch in the common room, Harry
was toying with his Invisibility cloak with unseen hands, and George sat back
confidently.
"Well,
we'll just have to go with Plan B," he said matter-of-factly.
"And
what exactly would that be?" snapped Hermione as she struggled to sit
up. George smiled and threw an amiable
arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"Well..."
he drawled, pulling her up and leading her out of the common room with Fred,
Harry and Ron following close behind.
In moments, four excited boys and one protesting, shivering girl were
standing in front of a completed Plan B.
Indeed, their quick search of the grounds had proved that Norax's mark
was visible again. With one simple
word, the black spiral whirled its way open, and the group headed carefully
down the steps. As she tripped down the
stone construction, Hermione grabbed someone's hand and hoped it was
Ron's. The wind whipped and water
dripped and the steps stretched on and on.
As they continued through the darkness, voices approached them, and she
felt the hand she was holding squeeze hers.
"The
boss said to check the entrance and seal it up...he said we could do what we
pleased with anything we found that wasn't part of his plan." The voice was male and as monotone as it is
possible for a voice to be. George
furrowed his brow and caught Harry as he tripped on the stairway uncertainly. Holding himself upright, Harry looked around
for any sign of the deep voices he was sure he had heard. Hermione frowned and risked a whisper to
light her wand. A shadowy light
blossomed over them, and Hermione saw that she was indeed squeezing her
boyfriend’s hand. He looked worriedly
down at her, then over the heads of his brothers and Harry as they shrank back
against the walls. Two large,
attractive looking men were coming casually towards them with menacing looks
upon their faces. Ron’s grip on
Hermione’s hand was now painful- these men were more identical then even the
most alike of twins- even down to the way their hair fell and the way they
walked. There was no possible way to
tell the two men apart.
“Well
what do we have here?” said one of the men in a tone that made his coy comment
sound ridiculous. He growled and
reached out, securing Harry’s arms firmly behind his back. Hermione, in spite of herself, leaned
towards him with her wand, but there was a snap of fingers and a muttered curse
and her wand was jerked out of her hands, now illuminating her face. A low whistle rung out above Harry’s sounds
of struggle.
“Look
at that,” said the other man, pointing stupidly. Ron made an indistinct noise and went forward to stand in front
of her, but he was instantly bound and yanked to stand next to Harry. As Fred slowly moved out of the light and
over in Hermione’s direction, he was spotted, and finally only Hermione stood
in front of the burly men. George was
down about ten steps behind the occupied men’s backs, gesturing frantically
with Fred and Harry. Ron was too busy
being furious.
“What
do you want me to do?” George mouthed up at his white-faced brother. Harry whispered something to Fred, and the
both nodded.
“Take
this, look for Maddie and look for help.
Hermione will stall them for awhile, I think.” As he spoke, the silvery folds of the Invisibility cloak
fluttered down and George expertly caught them. He slipped it over his head and gave Fred a ‘okay’ sign with his
fingers, forgetting that no one could see him.
With the cloak in place, George turned his attention to Hermione and the
men, who were talking on the steps as the boys fumed from their rope prisons,
just within earshot.
“What’s
your name, Princess?” asked one of the men, leaning forward meaningfully. His monotone voice and awkward movements
were enough to make Hermione burst out in laughter, but she was so nervous and
unsure that she stared at him, wide-eyed, and took a deep breath.
“Er-
Hermione,” she said shakily, wondering if she should have given him her real
name. She shot a desperate look at Ron,
who was literally purple as he stretched to try and reach his wand in his back
pocket. Hermione sighed and fervently
wished she could be standing next to him.
“Aren’t
you going to tie me up, too?” she asked meekly. The man chuckled soundlessly.
“Do
you want me to tie you up, little lady?” Ron’s eyes flashed and Hermione realized her mistake in an
instant.
“Actually,
no, now that you think of it, I’m much happier right here…” Ron was now
exhausting himself by throwing his weight against the ropes, and Harry was busy
trying to calm him down. Fred seemed to
have his wits about him, though, and was continually mouthing something at
Hermione.
“Keep
talking! Stall them! STALL THEM!” Hermione nodded and slipped out of the advancing men’s reach.
“Well-
uh- what’s your names?” she floundered, trying to seem inviting and leave a
good distance at the same time.
“Number
345,” answered one instantly, and the other stood at attention beside him.
“Number
346.” Hermione raised her eyebrows at
Harry, who shrugged and nodded towards the men impatiently.
“That’s…nice. Let’s see…uh… shouldn’t we…keep moving? After all, I heard you say you had some sort
of assignment to complete, didn’t I?”
The men exchanged glances and nodded in unison.
“You
can help us,” they said as one. “You
can keep guard while we get it done.
Then we’ll all go down to The Room, and have some fun.” The idiotic men didn’t notice Hermione
nearly gagging, or Ron positively rocking in fury, for they were already
advancing past the group, marching in sync towards the spiral the group had
come from. Hermione raced over to the
boys, looked at them apprehensively.
“Where’s
George?” she asked breathlessly, and Fred quickly explained. “Okay, well, that’s good, but there’s
something else. If they close the
spiral, we won’t be able to get out. I
have to go call them back,” Hermione turned, wringing her hands, but Ron looked
at her in disbelief.
“NO! Are you kidding? No way Hermione, not a chance!”
“But
she’s right,” pleaded Harry, “We can’t get stuck down here!”
“Would you rather she
was raped!?” Harry and Ron began
arguing back and forth, with Hermione making little interjections here and
there, until Fred threw back his head and roared, “SHUT UP!” The talking stopped.
“We’re
wasting time. Hermione, go and call
them back- no listen Ron- go and call them back, but untie us first. We’ll pretend to be tied up while you keep
them occupied- by TALKING, Ron- and if they make any sudden…moves…then we’ll be
able to help you.”
“And
how long, exactly, is she going to have to “occupy” them?” asked Ron
crossly. Fred sighed impatiently.
“Only
time well tell.”
(*)
It
was cold in the room, but Maddie didn’t even notice. She knew, somehow, where she was, because this place had been described
to her before. There had been a few
changes, but the resemblance to the picture in her mind was stunning. Hermione had been here. The burnt down candle stumps had been
replaced with new white pillars and the large movie screen Hermione had babbled
on about was standing importantly in a corner.
There was something very different about this room then any of the other
rooms Maddie had checked so far. It had
a hushed silence- a reverent air to it.
Maddie tiptoed over the threshold; she half expected some sort of alarm
to sound, but- totally void of sirens or flashing lights- the room stayed the
same. Maddie, however, was changed.
“Creepy,”
she whispered, for the room was much more real once you were inside it. Her entrance had somehow lit the candles
that were arranged in clusters, and breeze of stale air ruffled her hair as she
continued forward. She had a great
interest in the large groups of filing cabinets that were lined up along the
opposite the movie screen. They were
drawing her, talking to her, telling her that they contained the answers she
had been searching for all night. She
quickened her pace and was examining the labels in seconds.
There
were many, many labels scattered among the collection of drawers. There didn’t seem to be any locks, but
Maddie knew that magic could lock a cabinet without leaving any sign of doing
so. She was contemplating opening one
up when she saw something sent her skin crawling. In scrawled handwriting,
black light-emitting ink, the label gave off it’s own chilly air.
Katerina.
There
was no hesitation this time as she yanked hard on the handle. To her surprise, it opened easily and she
shivered, glad for the uneasiness she was feeling. It meant there was still a good amount of sanity left in her.
“What
is all this?” asked Maddie to the flickering candlelight. The file was full of a plethora of things;
newspaper clippings, official looking letterheads, a baby book, and
photographs. The photographs sent
another pang into Maddie’s stomach, and she lifted out the folder with
trembling hands. It fell open and one
snapshot sailed into Maddie’s lap.
“Oh
my God,” she breathed, for she was staring at herself. But she had never seen this picture before-
she had not ever even seen the place were she was in the picture. Her, in front of a little cottage with roses
climbing up the trellis behind her.
Someone had their arms around her- someone with black hair and an easy
smile. Maddie looked at the picture for
a little while longer before she realized that she was not moving. Neither was the boy. The picture was from the Muggle world.
There
were plenty of pictures inside the manila folder, but it took about four more
before Maddie realized it was impossible for her the girl featured in every
picture to be her. It was a visual
record of another life- the girl blowing out the candles on a birthday cake,
riding a horse, performing on some sort of stage, playing contentedly with the
black-haired boy from the other pictures.
It couldn’t be Maddie. But it
certainly looked like her.
Leaving
the picture for the time being, Maddie lifted out another folder, this time
bearing the name “The Early Years”. The
first thing she lifted out was a program for a musical recital. There was a list inside of the names of the
performers and the songs they were singing.
One named was circled.
Katerina
Norander… Amazing Grace
Maddie shivered and replaced the program quickly, only to draw out another. She counted five programs before she threw that particular folder back in and drew out another. “Hogwarts”. The first thing inside was a letter that Maddie had seen before.
Dear
Ms. Norander,
We are
pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find
enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term
begins on September 1. We await your
owl by no later than July 31.
Yours
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Maddie returned the letter and peered into its folder in interest, but there was only one other letter in there. It was on the same paper and bore the same letterhead.
Dear
Mr. & Mrs. Norander,
I would just like to write and
express my deepest regret over your untimely loss. Katerina was a wonderful student, who demonstrated courage, loyalty
and kind-hearted attitudes in all situations.
I believe that a loving family and an entire school full of friends
succeed her. Her death may have robbed
us all, but she will be honored far into the future.
I
invite you to the school on the afternoon of September 1. We will be opening the feast this year with
the installation of a plaque in her memory.
It will be in the Trophy Room for all to see.
Once
again I am so sorry.
Yours
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
The paper slipped from her fingers and fell into the open folder on her lap. Katerina, if that was the girl in the pictures, had died. While a student at Hogwarts. Why had she never heard of her before? She made a mental note to check the Trophy Room when she got to the school. A voice taunted her, asking her if she truly expected to get back to the school. Maddie firmly moved on, to a folder that was unmarked, but full of newspaper clippings and a few typed letters. The first one she lifted out was from a Muggle newspaper.
Community Singer
Murdered, Brother Prime Suspect
Kelly Monaham
The
town of Avondale is in uproar today as they mourn the death of a renowned local
singer, Katerina Norander. Some of the
town may remember her many titles that she won in regional and state singing competitions. This fifteen-year-old girl, who attends
boarding school during the year, was enjoying a summer at home when her life
was abruptly brought to an end.
She
was found in a field behind her home, brutally stabbed with signs of severe
torture and struggle. Also found nearby
was her younger brother, Alex Norander, who was in a state of terrible
emotional distress. He made a statement
to the authorities claiming he watched his sister go through the torture and
stabbing, saying “the wizard people did it her”, and making similar accusations
about fantasy creatures coming and leaving through the course of the
murder. He was evaluated at Chrisitiana
Children’s Hospital, and is in currently in the psychological ward there,
awaiting further investigation. He is
the prime and only suspect to date. His
parents were unavailable to comment.
The
funeral service for Ms. Norander will be held tomorrow morning in St.
Catherine’s cathedral. Donations can be
made to the family at the following address:
Maddie thought back to the pictures. The boy with the black hair must have been Alex. But that still didn’t explain anything about the Norander family. She stared hard at the thin paper, rereading the section about Alex. “The wizard people did it to her”. It was terrible…he obviously knew his sister was a wizard, but had he only imagined them coming? Had he been a criminal or a victim? Maddie decided to move to the next article. This one had a moving picture of the same girl again, the one who was Maddie’s twin, and she was brightly smiling.
Hogwarts
Student Murdered- Dark Arts Involvement?
Swaercha
Hoyden
A
great tragedy took place two days ago, one that has rocked wizarding and Muggle
communities alike. Katerina Norander
was fifteen-years-old and a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry. She was known for her
bright smile and beautiful singing voice.
But now she sings no more.
Norander
was murdered in a field behind her parents’ home in the Muggle town of
Avondale. Her body was discovered with
stab wounds and torture marks- she also exhibited signs of a worthy
struggle. A team in Ministry wizards,
disguised as Muggles, examined the body and found evidence of several curses
used in against her.
Under
tips from friends and teachers, the house of Slytherin student Nicholas Yetten
was searched, and Katerina’s wand was discovered in the boy’s bedroom. He plead not guilty, has hired a lawyer and
trail date is pending.
There has been talk of a special ceremony in
Norander’s memory to open the new school year at Hogwarts, but Headmaster Albus
Dumbledore declined comment. For now
all one can do is pray, and wonder what exactly happened to snuff out this
bright star so early in her life.
Maddie held the two articles in her hand- one Muggle, one wizard. Two different stories, two different suspects- which was right, which was wrong? Maddie looked nervously around the room, which was still bathed in ghostly light. Turning back to the folder, she sifted through a few more articles from different papers, all saying the same as the ones she had read. The last thing she saw was a letter. The letterhead boasted about Chrisitiana Children’s Hospital.
Dear
Mr. & Mrs. Norander,
I am writing about your son, Alex
Norander, with an update on his mental condition. You asked me a few questions on your last visit, and I think it
may be time to answer a few of those.
Alex still has not accepted the fact
that Katerina is dead. He asks for her
often, and talks about wizards, as well. I played him a tape of Katerina singing, and asked who he was
listening to. He promptly answered
correctly, but I played a tape of a popular artist singing, and he answered “Katerina”. Indeed, any music he hears is Katerina,
singing for him.
You asked if I think he killed
Katerina. Well, I have to say I am
starting to lose all hopes for doubt.
As much as you insist he had no jealousy over Katerina’s popularity and
talent, he exhibits evidence of that very handicap. Also, he shows possessive obsession qualities when talking about
or looking at pictures of his sister.
He has often had burst of temper that proves him capable of severe
violence. I’m afraid that the strongest
defense you can hope for is insanity.
I have already suggested to
the court a longer stay in the ward here at Chrisitiana. He is unstable, and a danger to people
around him, including himself. If you
have any further questions, please contact me through the hospital as you have
before. I will look forward to seeing
you on your next appointment.
Maddie was starting to get an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was starting feel waves of realization, and they were making her increasingly sick as they clicked in her mind. As she held the letter, the article and the picture she had first looked at, there was no doubt in her mind anymore as to who this Alex Norander was.
The baby book was at the bottom of the drawer, but there was nothing special in it- just pictures of an adorable baby in the beginning of her life. The light was spitting now as many of the wicks reached their ends, but Maddie paid no heed, simply whipping out her wands and using the flickering light to read over the pages of brightly colored childhood. Finally deciding there was nothing else to find, Maddie closed the Katerina file with a quiet bang.
But there were more labels she could look at- plenty to keep her busy for some time. She moved closer to a bank of the files and put her hand on the top next to one of the candles. A bit of dripping wax slithered down and burned her viciously. With a little shriek of pain, she jumped back, right into the arms the strong man behind her. She whirled around and gasped with shock.
“How did you find me?”
It was Norax.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?” Norax grinned, and Maddie dropped the paper she had been holding as if it was on fire. He smiled at her in a crooked way and walked a bit closer. “I see you’ve found my room. Clever of you, really, to read the files. They explain most everything that files can.” He snapped his fingers and Maddie was wildly jerked off her feet to spin in the air. When she landed, stunned, her school robes were gone. She was now wearing a short blue skirt that flared out neatly, and a pale blue sweater set to match. Her hair was in a ponytail high on her head, and she was wearing saddle shoes. She looked like something straight out of the forties. Actually, she looked like someone straight out of the pictures she had looked at. She was Katerina.
“You’re smart. So was she. She would have figured it out before you, though. It took you a stupid long time. She was always using her brain, Katerina. Her brain, and her voice. She had a much better voice than you did,” sneered Norax. He sounded exactly like a little child, boasting about a special toy. Maddie stood very still and reread all the letters and newspapers in her head, trying to decide on a plan of action. She swallowed hard and whispered very softly.
“Well…since I’m not as smart as Katerina, I haven’t quite got everything figured out…who are you?” Norax grinned widely and extended a hand, much like the first time they had met.
“Alex Norander, at your service.” Maddie wasn’t surprised at all, she’d deducted as much from the articles and pictures…but there were still a few things she needed to understand, and she was more than a little scared to press for answers. She looked up to where Norax was rambling on about Katerina again.
“…and she didn’t have to be taught those idiotic Melodicia theories, like you. She simply knew them, that’s how wonderful she was. She used them, for more people than just herself. She protected people, like you never would.” Maddie’s head had snapped up at a mention of Melodicia theories, and her eyes widened. Celestina had told her that she was the first student to be trained in them. So how had this girl, who had been dead for so many years, know them well enough to protect others with them? Was this just another one of his delusions? He sounded, for the moment, very sane indeed. He was now advancing down near Maddie with a look in his eyes that there was no name for.
“Let me tell you a little story about a man boy named Nick Yetten. This is the most disgusting, foul creature you have ever heard of, and we will be brief on this explanation. He was a Slytherin, and he was a bastard. He was the son of a Death Eater, he was to be the next Voldemort. His tests were many- to maim and kill Gryffindors. His opposing forces were few, were one- Katerina. Her natural singing abilities enabled her to protect numberless friends when their lives were put in danger on orders from the Dark Lord himself. And she made our friend Nick a bit peeved at her. He killed her…used every curse and torture device imaginable, in a final plea for Voldemort’s attention. I watched. And that is why I’m here today. Many people will tell you that I killed my sister- several articles, letters, powers-that-be…but I didn’t. “One of those wizard people” did, and I watched. Nick was caught of course, but Azkaban is no prison compared to the chains I wear. I watched.” Norax stopped, breathing heavily as if he had just run a mile, and Maddie sat, horrified in her seat. She knew a few of the revolting curses that people trained in the Dark Arts would learn, and she could only picture where they proceeded from there. She shuddered to think of a young boy watching his sister treated that way.
“ I was not her murderer- in fact, I was the opposite. I am the one who was struggled the most to preserve her memory, to fight in her cause. I know that reason she died was the horrible politics that this horrible wizarding world entails. I thought of the perfect solution for peace. Kill them all.” Maddie raised her eyebrows in confusion. Kill all the wizards?
“No, Maddie,” he said, using her real name for the first time ever. “I don’t want to kill all wizards, not yet, anyway. It’s really much simpler then all that. I just want to kill the pureblooded wizards. They’re the ones who killed Katerina, after all. The Muggle borns and halfbloods have been most helpful in getting me to the point I’m at today. It is rather hard for a Muggle to infiltrate complex spells and protective curses without the help of a worthy friend or two. None of these now-enlightened men that I have employed were aware of how downtrodden they were, until I took some liberties and opened their eyes. And now the wizarding world is at my hands.” Norax strode furiously over to another set of filing cabinets and yanked out a sheaf of papers. They were letters upon which the letterhead was nothing more than a black spiral.
“The letters Dumbledore was getting,” Maddie whispered in realization. Norax clucked his tongue like a little old woman, pleased.
“Yes, these are they. Dumbledore was stunned by the fact that my threats were not empty. He was scared by my presence- the first he was unable to explain in a very long time. I broke through those petty barriers using brains no one ever thought to find. A mixture of Muggle and wizarding devices and technology and the shields were gone in a moment. Should’ve seen look on the old goat’s face.”
Norax was pacing now, in a very off-putting manner, and Maddie was trying in vain to do a singing spell that she had only just begun to learn- singing in her head without moving her lips. She was attempting to attract some sort of outside attention, but there were constant distractions, such as the fact that Norax was now sobbing loudly as he prostrated himself in front of the large movie screen in the corner of the room.
“This is a Triverscreen,” he shrieked, clinging to a chair nearby as tears flooded down his face. “I works rather like a Pensieve, except the memory is turned into a movie that can only be played with the permission of the owner. This is where I have recorded the night that I lost my love, Katerina. And I never have to look at it, except when I want to. Now you’re going to have to see!” With his final squeal the movie began rolling, flickering and spitting like an old home video. It was just as Hermione had described- terrible and mind-blowing and heart wrenching and the stuff of serious nightmares. The exact tortures weren’t clearly shown- it seemed that Norax had blocked these out- but the screams were as clear as day. Maddie was crying now, for the first time since her boycott. She was terrified of the tears- her own, and Norax’s, too. The movie continued for about five more minutes, then ended abruptly with a little Alex Norander rocking in the grass and muttering gently to a girl who couldn’t hear him.
“Well,” crowed Norax, getting up and brushing himself off in a business-like way. There was not a trace of the tears from moments before. “It’s time for you to meet another friend of mine.”
In a second a man had Appearated into the room. He was startlingly familiar, and he winked while Maddie looked him over, remembering where she had seen him last. He was one of the Shell Soldiers. There was something different about him, though. He didn’t hold the same blank expression, and his suggestive gestures definitely weren’t those of a possessed man. He ran his tongue over his teeth a final time as Norax turned back to him.
“This is Todd, the basic model for all my Shell Soldiers. While the rest of my fleet all started out with great minds and weak bodies, Todd was the opposite. He now is the only member of the Shell Soldiers who thinks freely. He has done his share for my ultimate goal by sacrificing himself to the cause, and now has a least five hundred men who share his every feature. He comes in handy, to say the least.”
Todd leaned confidently up against the wall, smiling in a slimy matter as Norax fiddled with something Maddie couldn’t see. In seconds he had spun around and thrown Maddie into a wooden chair that sprouted chains and bound her instantly. Todd chuckled and Norax regarded her coldly.
“Now we reach the part of my tale that has to do with you, Ms. Wells.” Maddie noted that he had gotten past the fact that she wasn’t Katerina, but his tone was just as deadly now as it had been when he was calling her after his dead sister. “When I first saw you, out in the woods, I knew that you were singing for me. You were riding that horse and it was written all over your face. You wanted me to hear those pretty notes. So I asked you to come, but you simply ran away to that simpering headmaster of yours. So I had to resort to more…drastic measures. I had Regis perform a simple Dreamcatcher spell; it got simpler from there. But once you sang, you abused the privileges you were given in the voice and the training. So I got angry, and decided that I would have some fun with you. Shake you up bit. Not only were you fin to watch in fear, but you were a direct link to some of the most power purebloods in the era. It was fun. For awhile.”
Norax paused and nodded to Todd, who sprang to life and slipped his wand out of the belt on his uniform. It glistened in the light, and Maddie felt her own wand being pulled out of her pocket and drifting over to Todd, who was standing with his hand outstretched. Positive that she was unarmed, Norax continued.
“So now I’ve come to the final frontier. We’re far past the point of no return. And there is only one thing left to do…something I’ve been wanting to do since the first day I ever saw you.”
Todd paced over, circling Maddie and brandishing his wand. Maddie let out an exasperated cry and threw back her head so her throat was exposed.
“Get on with it! Kill me already and go back to taking over the world!” Maddie tossed her hair with flourish, bravely preparing to bid the world farewell, but was surprised to her laughter from the two men in the room with her.
“Kill you?” asked Todd in disbelief. “Why would he kill you?”
“Why in GOD’S NAME would I ever even think of getting rid of a valuable asset like you? Why little Madderina? No, no, no, you’re going to help me. Katerina may have been the best, but you are second best, and I will harness that power. You’re going to be quite handy, just as Todd here.” Once again the man winked, and Maddie ignored him wholly, spending all her time goggling at Norax as if he as the crazy fool he acted to be.
“HELP YOU? Like hell I’m going to help you!”
“Yes,” chuckled Norax, placing a finger under her chin and lifting her head to the light. “Just like hell.” He all of the sudden had his whole hand under her throat, and tossed her head back as it had been before. Todd grabbed a fistful of the ponytail that was bobbing in the air, and placed his wand to her scar.
“Don’t do it!” called a high voice. Both Todd and Maddie spun their eyes to the source, but could see no one. “Don’t DO it!” The voice was none other than Norax himself. He spoke again, this time in a low, unearthly growl.
“Go on with it then! Ignore him. You always are for letting people off easy, letting people off good. We’ve felt enough pain- let someone else have a go now!”
The high voice was back again. “No! No, you’re right, we have felt enough pain. But we know what it FEELS like. Why do it to someone else?”
“LET HER CRY! LET HER TASTE DEATH! LET NO ONE BELIEVE HER!” The growling voice sounded near hysterical, and Norax was stumbling around, clutching his head and beating his chest.
“One life is no exchange for another! You know that!”
“I know that I want her to feel it! I want her to feel it! Who cares about anyone else?”
“I’m so scared. You’re scared, too. ADMIT IT!”
The voices went back and forth, tit for tat, yelling and screaming and filling the hollow chamber with terror. Both Maddie and Todd were frozen in astonishment as Norax helplessly allowed the voice to pour out of him, with no control at all. Finally, he threw himself toward Maddie and screamed.
“LET IT BE OVER! AT LAST!” There was a loud bang and Todd dropped his wand. Norax had fallen directly onto Maddie, staining her clothes in crimson blood. He had shot himself in the head. The gun was trembling as the last bits of life flowed from him, and Maddie grasped the metal firmly in her hand. She pulled it up and leveled it a Todd with her foot on his gun.
“Untie me. Now.”
He quickly did so, muttering fearfully under his breath. Maddie stood up and yanked the wand from his hand and motioned with her gun.
“Leave. Now.”
Again, he obeying, racing through the door and scuttling down the hallway at top speed. Maddie dusted herself off, cursing the bloodstains that were spreading over her. She left the room in a hurry, going the direction opposite of Todd.
“He’s here. I know he is,” she whispered, referring the burning feeling in her heart. She was tripping along darkened corridors, hoping she wouldn’t run into any enemies, praying she would run into a friend. As she pondered along, she ran into something solid and invisible, and uncertainly drew back.
“Maddie!” cried a voice, and she felt arms holding her tightly. She was confused for but a second, for then she smelled him, and as he ripped off the cloak she already knew what was waiting underneath.
George’s heart felt like it would burst as he held his Maddie under his arms. She was covered in blood and wearing some sort of antique, Norax-ish outfit, and he somehow knew he had missed the fight, but it didn’t matter. Because she was under his arms, and no matter what she had been through, she was there.
“What’s going on? How did you find me? I was so worried…” Maddie looked adoringly into his eyes, making him feel like the hero he was sure he wasn’t. He leaned down and kissed her hair, and she melted into him again. By the time they had pulled apart, George was explaining.
“They tied Fred, Harry and Ron up, and have been flirting with Hermione all night. Ron’s about to spit nails, but there’s nothing they can do, they’ve been stalling until I could find you. But now I’ve found you and everything’s going to be okay. We’ve just got to get them…and get away…somehow…” George was pausing every now and then to poke his head through one of the windows along the corridor, looking for his brothers and friends inside. Maddie dutifully pulled the gun out of her pocket. George stared.
“Where’d you get that?” he asked quietly.
“Well…it’s a long story.” He saw her eyes darken and knew there would be plenty of time for explanations later. They continued along until George stopped and pressed a hand against Maddie’s chest, signaling her to stop. Inside the room were Fred, Ron, Harry and Hermione. Hermione was standing nervously against the wall, while the others were tied up and slumped on the floor a couple of paces away. Ron looked like he had had his head banged against the wall, and Harry was glaring at the men. George pulled open the door and they could just hear the conversation inside.
“If I were Peter Pan, you would be my happy thought,” cooed one of the two men in a monotone. Hermione slipped aside as his hand went out to brush some hair out of her face, and she gulped.
“Really now…you’ve been throwing pick-lines at me for an hour now…shouldn’t you go…beat someone up or something? Isn’t that what you do?”
“Now why would I want to hurt someone? I swear, I’m as gentle as you want me to be.” He advanced a little closer and Hermione was just about to deck him one when a voice rang out from behind the door.
“Come on now boys…leave the little lady alone. Actually, I think it would be a favor to the gender if you left every lady alone. Now step away and let’s not make things messy.” Maddie appeared from no where, brandishing a gun and looking very suave in a bloody twinset. The boys stood up quickly as the two Shell Soldiers gulped nervously and backed past the silver gun, having seen it’s effect on a less lucky member of the ranks just a week earlier.
“Sorry ma’am,” whispered one, and the two stood at attention as they Appearated away. Hermione rushed gratefully over and hugged Maddie in a death grip before racing to untie the boys.
“I had them free for awhile, until we got caught and oh! Maddie, what happened, is everything…why are you all bloody and…”
“Later, later…we’ve got to get out of here!” With Ron and Harry propelling her by the arms, Hermione rushed out behind George, Fred and Maddie. The group rushed along the hallways until they found the spiral staircase, and began making their way up. Owing no doubt to their tiredness, the steep way was slow-going, but they continued on in silence, huffing and puffing and fearing for their lives. Finally, they reached the top, and as they collapsed onto the grass above ground, the spiral whirled and twirled and disappeared.
“Oh,” said Hermione sadly, “he got away again!”
Maddie grinned shrewdly. “No, he didn’t. He’s gone.”
“What!?”
She sat up and as they rested, she told the whole story. Everything she had seen, everything she had heard, the explanation to everything. Hermione let out a hard breath of air and shivered.
“That’s very…worrisome…he was calling you after his dead sister?” Maddie nodded mutely, and George wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“We’d better head in, it’s…” He checked his watch. “Good lord, it’s nearly midnight. We have to go talk to Dumbledore. Right away, let’s go.” They sleepily stumbled to their feet and tiptoed into the school, avoiding school ghosts or teachers at all costs. A very worried McGonagall met them soon, however.
“The whole of Hogwarts is on a lookout for you!” she hissed. “All of you missing at once we were terrified! Now march yourselves right up to the office, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you!”
“That’s good,” mumbled Harry wearily, “’Cause we want to see him, too.” And with that, they all filed past her, ignoring her exclamations about where the blood on Maddie had come from. In no time at all they were standing in front of the gargoyle statue.
“Come in children,” Dumbledore said gravely, but he took one look at Maddie and sat down hard. “Katerina?”
Maddie looked tiredly at her friends. “I don’t want to tell it again tonight,” she sighed. George nodded and began speaking. There would be times when Ron, Fred, Hermione or Harry would take over in the story telling, but Maddie stayed silent, watching the incredible range of emotions displayed on Dumbledore’s face. When they had reached an end, he simply gaped at them, openmouthed, for a full minute.
“Er- Professor?” Harry prodded. Dumbledore blinked once and shook his head quickly.
“So sorry…I was just…lost in a memory,” he muttered. Then he turned to Maddie, who was starting to stand up.
“We need to talk in much more depth, but there is no way I can force you to stay up any longer tonight. All of you look…a bit worse for wear. Goodnight.” Dumbledore turned around, scrawling out what looked like a letter on a piece of parchment. Fred, Harry, George and Hermione left the room, but Maddie paused a second at the door.
“Professor Dumbledore?” He turned around. “I’ll see you later.”
(*)
They were silent as they walked into the common room. It was late, but the fire was still flickering as they went their separate ways. Fred and Ron were up in the dorms straight away, and Harry hugged a tired Hermione goodnight before wearily following them. Hermione looked over and saw Maddie and George near the fire. She somehow thought her presence wouldn’t be much appreciated at the moment, and went upstairs, humming under her breath.
“Maddie,” George began quietly. She reached up and put a finger to his lips, and they sat in silence for a few seconds more.
“I love the fire,” she said into the sparks. “It’s beautiful and crazy and uncontrollable and it gives off such a heat, such a life. I love the fire.” She leaned back against his chest unable to see his grin.
“I love you. You’re beautiful and crazy and uncontrollable and you give off such a heat, such a life. I love you.” She turned and pushed the curve of her body against him, head upturned.
“When you talk like that, you are the sexiest man I know,” she said as she kissed his neck, and he put a hand to her back.
“You’re a bit prejudiced,” he insisted, meeting her mouth and kissing her hungrily. The intensity of the moment was just like a fire…there was fire warming their backs and a fire warming their souls. They went to break away, but Maddie caught his eye and stared deeply into him as she unzipped his robe, revealing the Muggle clothes underneath. He looked down in surprise as she undid the first button of his flannel, and kissed the bare skin underneath. She looked shyly up for approval, then went on with the last three, pushing the shirt back from his chest. He kissed her again, harder, and she could feel his heart beating against hers.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked her seriously. She bit her bottom lip, then grinned.
“Dead sure.”
(*)
Norax groaned as he sat up, holding a hand to his head.
“Todd!” The man was there in an instant. “Fix my ear, Todd. Ugh, good thing I have such excellent aim- it was rather close to my head, there. Did it work? Is she…”
“Yeah, the broad never knew what hit her. Instant personality transplant. It should already be in effect.”
“And you created this personality, right? Specially formatted for my particular needs?” Todd grinned.
“And a couple extras on the side…” Norax sighed impatiently.
“She’s attracted to you, isn’t she?”
“How could I resist? Listen, we already went over all this.”
Norax was peering at the Triverscreen keenly. “Yes, yes we did. Now can you set up the camera?” Todd waved his wand and a picture of Maddie and George making out on the common room floor came into view.
“Hm. That’s one unfaithful girlfriend you’ve got there.”
“It’ll work! Trust me!”
(*)
He was holding her, so close and so tight that he felt like he might burst. It was a side of her he had never seen before- aggressive and sensual and very…forward. Not that he was complaining. He couldn’t remember the last time things had felt so right as they did now. She reached up and laced her fingers behind his head as she nibbled his ear and he kissed her neck. There was sudden tumult of motion, and her shirt was on the floor, somewhere near the fire, but definitely not on her body. She rolled underneath him and was staring up at him with those beautiful green eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered at her, and he realized that he really meant it. No matter what was going on or how beautiful she was…he loved her. No matter what, he loved her.
“Do you?” she crowed teasingly, tugging playfully on his belt buckle. He smiled and leaned a bit closer.
“I really do.” Maddie surged forward and brought her mouth right to his ear.
“Well that was your big mistake,” she hissed evilly, and in a flash she dug her hands deep into his pants, coming up with his wand firmly in her hand. “Crucio.”
His screams filled the now sound-proof room as she crawled off him and, ignoring his cries, started pulling back on her shirt and fixing her hair in a business-like way.
(*)
“Now. Send me now. I want to talk to her.”
Todd waved his wand again, and was alone.
(*)
“Good job,” said the man, and Maddie turned around, hardly surprised. She simply nodded and held out her hand for her own wand.
“Thank you,” she said throatily as he returned it to her. Norax was staring down at George, who was twitching on the floor in horror and confusion. There were two faced with grins of amusement, one grimace of ultimate heartbreak. George’s mind was a swirling mass of pain and confusion. One second he had been about to get some, and now his girlfriend was standing next to her mortal enemy, using Unforgivable curses and grinning at him evil. Tears ran down his cheeks. Now he knew he should have known, because when she was kissing him, she didn’t smell like Maddie.
“Finish what you started,” growled Norax.
Maddie turned around. Barely turning around, she looked down at the helpless form on the floor.
“I love you,” he croaked.
She waved her wand and it happened. His throat burst open like it had popped a seam, and blood ran all over his chest, down his pants, around the floor, until he was no longer human but some sort of sick, cherry-dipped mound. Maddie turned, stone-faced, back to Norax, but out of the corner of her eye she could see a black spiral rising on his chest.
“Remember, you are upset. Your boyfriend is dead. Stay here and await instructions. I will be watching.” Maddie nodded and she heard a pop. He was gone. She promptly threw herself down into the blood puddle and wailed.
(*)
They both sat in the room, watching the Triverscreen with interest. People were filing in now, crying and screaming with shock and horror, but Maddie never left the body. She stayed sobbing, always near his chest, cursing the spiral and Norax in general.
“I put a lot of lying qualities in her personality…good acting, too,” Todd confided as they continued watching the screen. Norax nodded.
“She will be such an asset,” he intoned.
They sat watching as a group of close friends gathered around the body, each one kneeling in the blood with their heads bowed and tears pouring.
“Beautiful voice, pretty face, and, with a few modification charms, a body to die for. She’ll break plenty of hearts and plenty of necks along this path we’ve helped her chose. One of ‘em down, millions to go. But now, we’re unstoppable.” Norax leaned back in his chair and watched his new favorite person put on an Academy Award winning performance. As the students of Hogwarts held a reverent moment of silence, where only the sniffles and sobs could be heard, one head lifted from it’s prostrated position and looked directly at the hidden camera. Norax met her eyes, and Maddie winked devilishly. Alex and Katerina were together again. This time, forever.