Chapter 8
It had been a long and tiring month, it was hard work being in seventh year. Madison was sitting at her desk, having finished her homework, and was writing a letter to Marcus. She had enjoyed their letters back and fourth.
Meanwhile she felt like a specimen under close observations when it came to her house mates. Pansy tried very hard to make Madison's life as hard as possible, whether it was sabotaging her homework, to trying to make her trip. Thankfully Madison had enough patience, from often dealing with fledglings, not to let it get to her.
"I have to say you have the patience of a Saint." Madison hadn't even realized that someone was at her door or that they opened it without knocking. It must have been because of the music she was playing. She looked up to find Draco Malfoy standing against her doorway.
"Sorry?"
"If I where in your shoes I would have tried to wring the life out Pansy weeks ago," he explained.
Madison smiled, "So what brings you to me humble abode?"
"Just checking up on you," Draco replied as he ventured into her room looking at her stuff; Alexis turned off the music.
"You see something you like?" she asked finishing off her letter then sealing it.
"I can't figure you out," Draco confessed, finally settling down in the armchair by the small fireplace, "I've been trying to for a while."
"Well you can't to know someone by ignoring them." Madison said blandly.
"How come you haven't come to Hogwarts before? Did you go to Beauxbatons?" Draco started his inquisition.
"My mother was extremely overprotective, she schooled me at home." She explained.
"Well that explains your lack of social skill." Draco commented, "Why was she overprotective and why the change?"
"I didn't know you like to fish."
"Indulge me; I might be able to get Pansy to back off."
Madison pretended to concede, "I'm photo-sensitive, and my parents are gone."
"Photo-what?"
"It means that I am very sensitive to sunlight, I burn very bad." Madison explained.
"So that's why the Professors cover the windows in class."
Madison nodded, "It's why I wear sunglasses, because I'm so use to the dark. The girls' dorm room has windows facing east, so every morning I would be a human barbeque, hence the privet bedroom with no windows."
"That understandable."
"I don't want to be pitied." She snapped.
"I would dream of it,"
"And I don't want the whole house to know, next thing I need is for Pansy to push me into a sunny window."
"And your parents are gone?" he asked.
"As in not living anymore, we are living in a war." Madison reminded him, "But I'd rather not talk about them. I'm going to go get an owl to deliver this."
"Do you want some company?" Draco asked.
Madison looked at him as if to read his thoughts. "Sure,"
Draco got up from his seat; a picture on the mantle caught his eye, "Is he your brother?"
The picture was of her and Marcus, "No, he's my boyfriend. His name is Marcus."
"So you're the anti-social butterfly, yet you have a boyfriend." Draco commented.
"I know, I'm weird," Madison grabbed her cloak and headed out the door, "Are you coming?"
*
The silence was boring; they had been waiting for nearly ten minutes in the teacher's lounge for the last two Professors to arrive, Dumbledore and Snape. Lena had her hand palm up stretched out in front of her with a little mini fire ball spinning around in a circle fast so that all that was seen was ring of fire. Charlie sat beside her, amused with the little show. Without pause Lena removed her hand away from the fire ring and it remained.
"You're pretty good at that." Sirius commented.
"Are you kidding," Charlie replied, "That is nothing compared to some of the things she can do."
"What's really weird," Lena said as she made the fire disappear with a wave of her hand, "Is that I am currently teaching someone in my class that is older than me."
"If only Miss Prince was the student Miss Philana is today," Minerva mentioned with slight disappointment.
"Some people can change a lot over the years," Sirius said.
"Some people more than others obviously." Minerva made a jab at Sirius.
"Oi, enough of that now, I get enough of that from this one," Sirius referred to Solarea who was sitting next to him slightly hunched with her eyes closed.
Sirius reached over and poked her in the arm. Solarea suddenly jerked up and blinked a couple times before rubbing her eyes.
"Tired?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "It's not as if you're the one getting into the physical part of class."
"Oh shut up," Solarea snapped, "I'd gladly trade places if I could, you try being sick all the time."
The staff of Hogwarts had known that Solarea was pregnant for two weeks now, after her nausea gotten the best out of her at the weekly staff meeting.
"Just because I told you not to treat me as something fragile, doesn't mean you get to be an inconsiderate ass." Solarea snapped causing a few laughs.
It was then that Dumbledore came in, "I'm afraid that Severus will not be joining us this evening, he unfortunately had other things to attend to."
"Wow, first time in a month," Sirius retorted.
"Think he's forgotten about me?" Lena asked doubtfully.
"All we can do is wait and see,"
"We have further information regarding this Ball come Halloween Night," Dumbledore said reverting the conversation to another topic, "It seems that the Ministry was given a list a people to send invitation to."
"Well who did the list come from?" Solarea asked.
"That is still unknown." Dumbledore replied.
"Unknown or you just don't want to tell us."
"The Ministry is being extremely closed lipped about it."
*
"Where is he?" Lucius demanded.
"The Master is inside the cavern, he mustn't be bothered," Rene told the Death Eaters.
"Then why have we been called here?" Bellatrix asked.
"For what is to take place tonight, he mustn't be disturbed. The Master had ordered that you each go in teams of two to patrol this forest." Rene explained, "The magic that keeps us concealed from the locals may falter, they mustn't be aware of our presence."
"What do you know about the locals?" Severus asked.
"The village consists of muggles," Rene replied, "If you see someone, don't do anything unless they see you, and knock them out do not kill them."
"Where's the fun in that?" Bellatrix asked coyly.
"It is said that these lands are protected by a higher being, if you use magic or kill someone, our presence will be known," Rene pressed with such urgency, "In fact, I think it would be best if you leave your wands behind."
"I think we are capable of following direction," Lucius sneered, "I doubt we need go to such extreme."
"Very well," Rene conceded, "But if anything happens to hinder our mission…"
"Yeah, yeah," Bellatrix said as she started to walk off, "Don't get your knickers in a twist."
When everyone had gone off in pairs, Rene let out of sigh of frustration, "Damn Wizards, always have to do thing their way."
*
"Come on Perce, you're in no condition to get up right now." Tavion told her sister as she attempted to get up from her bed.
"Cara..." Persephone rasped.
"Don't worry, I'll go after her. You stay in bed, I mean it." After seeing to her sister's comfort, Tavion left the hut in search of the young girl. She didn't have to look far; Cara was sitting on the steps of the hut, knees tucked up to her chest. Tavion sat down next to her.
"You said Yule," Cara said with spite.
"Her illness is far more aggressive than I had foreseen." Tavion responded.
"It's not fair!" Cara sobbed. Tavion wanted so much to cry with her, but she had to strong, she could not break down. She put a comforting arm around her niece and Cara leaned into her.
After Cara was finished, Tavion lifted her face so that they saw each other eye to eye, "Alright now, lets wipe those tears. She doesn't need to be seeing those. She loves you and right now she needs you to be strong for her."
Cara nodded in agreement, wiping the tears from her face, and then headed back into the hut. Tavion sighed as she watched some of her tribe mates around a campfire telling stories to the young ones before bed.
It was then that it happened, time seemed irrelevant. The world deafened around her and only her shallow breathing could be heard. Tavion was use to this, it happened many times before. She closed her eyes and let the images come to her. There was darkness, then trees, a tall dark man, then a fiery bird all the while a bell was tolling in her ear. Then with dread she saw the cavern, light emitting from the darkness where none should be. It ended abruptly, with a snap back to reality. Tavion gazed upon the night sky, piecing together what she had seen.
A sense of urgency overcame her, a fear that something terrible was to happen. But Tavion didn't know when. Quickly, she walked across the village to her own hut. Once inside Tavion located her Sais, a quiver full of some specially made arrows and her bow. After her quiver and three Sais where in place she then headed back to the medicine hut.
"What's going on?" Cara asked upon seeing her Aunt armed.
"I don't know, perhaps nothing," Tavion replied, "How is she doing?"
"I've managed to get her to sleep, though she keeps coughing blood." Cara reported.
"Alright stay with her. I am going to check on something." Tavion explained as she headed to the door, "If the bell should toll, I want you to take your mother down to the beach, into the boat. Don't come back, I will come for you."
"Do you expect trouble?"
"Just do as I say okay." Then she left.
*
Much to his disappointment, Severus had been teamed up with Macnair. Though it was far better then having Lucius or Bellatrix around, they were always trying to poke holes though his supposed loyalty to Voldemort. However accurate, it was still annoying.
They had traveled for about a half hour, with only the light from the moon above to see. Severus didn't like to be left out of the loop, but apparently so had the others. No one knew what the Master was doing inside that cavern.
Macnair had no sense of grace; he had been constantly tripping over tree roots and sometimes there were a few rings of stones for a fire pit.
Suddenly something caught Severus's eye, a light coming from the distance. Macnair seemed not to notice, so Severus slipped of by himself to go investigate the light. As he got closer he saw that it was someone, a female, carrying a torch as she walked a well worn path. Perhaps is he made himself know, or if he did magic, it would disrupt what ever Voldemort was planning to do this night.
Severus saw that the woman was armed with a bow. He thought perhaps she was hunting, but it was rather odd as it was night time. He wasn't more then ten feet away from her when she stopped dead in her track, cautiously looking around. What dumbfounded him more was that she was not dressed like the muggles he had seen; she was in animal skin. There was something about her though, maybe it was the way she presented herself, Severus found himself oddly attracted to her.
She crouched down and wedged the touch between three rocks so that it stood up by itself. Severus watched as she armed her bow with an arrow, "Show yourself, Wizard," the woman said in an unmistakable Irish accent.
Severus approached closer, wand at hand. The woman kept looking around, obviously not seeing him. Then without pause, she pulled back on the bow and aimed strait at Severus.
"How many of you stick wavers are here?" She asked demandingly. When he didn't answer right away she continued, "I'll have you know I am bound by law to kill you where you stand; if you have nothing of use to say I will end you."
"I was told to make sure that you and your people did not know of our presence."
"Yet you've made yourself known."
"I didn't see any other alternative." Severus explained. She lowered the bow, "You're very trusting." He noted.
"It has nothing to do with trust, just truth. You are with the Phoenix. Now how many Wizards are here?" she asked with less hostility.
"More than we can handle." Severus answered.
She nodded in understanding then brought arrow close to the fire. Severus could see on the end of the arrow was a small sack with a fuse coming out the top. The fuse caught fire and then she aimed towards the night sky and released. Shards of light fell from the sky as the arrow had exploded.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"A call to arms," she replied, in the distance they faintly heard a bell toll, "It also call upon the one we serve."
"And who do you serve?" Severus inquired.
"What's going on?" Damn, Severus had forgotten about Macnair. The woman reached behind her and grabbed something from the small of her back. By the time Severus realized what it was, it was lodged into Macnair's chest. Severus was momentarily shock, he did not think that she could do what he had just seen, kill someone in cold blood.
"You are the third person I have saved from this fate," she told his as she removed her Sais and made sure he was dead, "Trespassers are killed on sight. Welcome to Amazon territory, my name is Tavion and I'll be your tour guide this evening."
Severus thought about the situation for a few moments, "What the hell is so important in that cavern that is worth killing?"
Suddenly the earth began to shake beneath them. They both clung to a tree to keep themselves from falling over. The quake lasted for about two minutes before it settled. Tavion looked panicked.
"It's too late," she whispered before a wave of energy passed over them causing them to fall to the ground unconscious.
*
Solarea was just contemplated on retiring for the evening when she heard the bell toll in her mind. She sighed wishing that she could just sleep.
Sirius noticed that Solarea was doing the opposite from getting ready for bed; he could tell something was up.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"I think so," Solarea quietly replied, "I've just have to check on something."
She grabbed her cloak and hurried out of their rooms, Sirius rushed after her.
"What are you doing?" Solarea asked when she noticed Sirius following her.
"I'm coming with you," he replied, "And before you argue I will say this: You and I are together, it would not be fair if you left me behind to worry about you all the time."
"Well as long as you don't mind going to a village full of women."
When Solarea and Sirius arrived at Iphigenia, the sight before them was disturbing. All of the tribe just seemed to have fallen where they stood.
Solarea looked extremely panicked, "This is not happening!"
"Are they…?"
Observing the catastrophe before them she replied, "Yes, they're dead."
"How did this happen?"
Solarea did not respond, instead her attention seemed to be aimed elsewhere, towards on of the huts.
"What is it?"
"Someone is still alive." She announced as she headed towards the hut.
Inside the hut, which Sirius recognized to be the one he had been in all those years ago, there were only two victims. Only one was alive, Cara had woken up.
"Cara, are you okay?" Solarea asked.
Cara sat up and tried to shake the confusion from her mind. "I have to take Máthair to the beach," Cara responded.
"Why, little one?" Solarea asked softly.
"She's sick. Tavion Saw something and left; she told me to take her to the beach in a boat until she got back if the bell tolled." Cara explained. Solarea gently placed a hand on the girls shoulder and Cara fell asleep.
"I want you to take her to Hogwarts," Solarea told Sirius.
"I will, as soon as you tell me why all these people are dead and she isn't."
"Everything that isn't magical had been killed. Cara is buzzing with magic right now, so that is what saved her." Solarea explained, "I will tell you everything when I return. There's still a chance that Tavion could still be alive."
Sirius scooped Cara into his arms and took to the point where he could Apparate.
*
"What is this?" Voldemort asked in disbelief to Rene. Rene was down on one knee not responding
"It is understandable to be confused, however I do thank you for freeing me from my prison."
"Who are you?" Voldemort asked.
"I am Vinarin," Vinarin looked to be in his thirties, tall with dark hair and dark eyes.
Voldemort turned back to Rene, "You know this was going to happen!"
"Rene is my servant, therefore you will speak to me," Vinarin shouted crossly that Voldemort a little scared. "For too long have I been ignored; and I'm not interested in your petty vendetta. You inability to kill a boy is disturbing."
"Master, if I may speak freely?" Rene asked; Vinarin showed that he was listening, "This boy may have some interest to us. Your sister holds him dear to her heart."
"Really, how interesting." Vinarin mused about this for a moment. "It seems I do have a use for you after all Tom Riddle, however incompetent you are. You can't even see that one of your followers is a spy."
What Voldemort did next was so stupid that it could possibly go down in the record book of stupid. Being infuriated about being played and gypped out of the power he wanted, he raised his wand against Vinarin and uttered the Death Curse. The curse just rolled off of him, but Vinarin raise a hand in turn and Voldemort went flying and slammed into a cavern wall and was held there.
"You foolish mortal!" he spat. With another thought Vinarin summoned some of the closest Death Eater from the forest that was awake. Here were Voldemort's followers about to witness their master about to get a beating. "I only keep those who have a use, and I can easily do without the likes of you. I have been around a lot longer than you can comprehend. I am a God Tom Riddle; learn your place or I'll give you one six feet under."
Vinarin released Voldemort and he fell to the ground, "We must leave before my sister comes."
*
Severus woke to someone shaking him. "Snape, wake up." He opened his eyes to see Professor Solarea standing over him nudging him with her foot. Once she saw that he was awake she went over to Tavion and checked her pulse.
Her pulse was faint and she was barely breathing. Tavion's eyes were open but they had clouded over which usually happened when she had a vision.
"They left you behind." Solarea told Severus.
"Who?" he asked in confusion.
"Voldemort, the Death Eaters," Solarea responded, "If you go back to them you're dead."
"What the hell happened tonight?"
"Voldemort received a Master tonight." Solarea sighed as she lifted Tavion's upper body to get the woman to sit up.
"Is she alright?" Severus asked.
"We need to get her to Hogwarts, she's in shock." Solarea explained.
"Would she not be missed by her village?" Severus asked.
"There's no one left in the village to miss her."
Severus helped by taking Tavion into his arms. Solarea picked up Tavion's discarded weaponry and noted her bloodied Sais and then Macnair's corpse.
"You're lucky you didn't end up on the end of this," Solarea noted.
"So I have been told. Can I assume you are the one they serve?"
"Yes," Solarea started, "but I will explain everything after I call an emergency Order meeting."
And then the forest that was once home to the Amazons was abandoned.
*
"Wow, I can see why you dislike them so much."
Madison and Draco had found themselves in the east tower after their trip to the owlery.
"Actually, if you really think about it, it's all rather stupid." Draco said.
"How so?"
"There are more important thing happening. And I have been wasting my time trying to make others look bad." Draco explained.
There was a silence, an awkward one at that.
"So how long were you planning on lying to me?" Draco asked suddenly.
"What? What do you mean?"
Draco pulled out an old photograph that Madison recognized as one of her and Draco's father back when they went to school before.
"This, plus the whole sunlight issue screams Vampire." Draco accused.
Yes, she was busted. Madison took off her glasses, "It wasn't my idea."
"Do the Professors know?"
"Of course they do," Madison snapped. "What do you plan to do with this information?"
"I want to know where your loyalties lie."
"My loyalties lie with Marcus Moravian, who has recently joined the Order of the Phoenix." Madison said coolly and calmly.
"What are your intentions, infiltrating Hogwarts?" Draco pressed further.
"Now that would be telling."
"I suppose you don't have any reason to trust me." Draco said timidly.
"There's a way to fix that." Madison replied.
"How?"
Madison reached into her robes and retrieved a small bottle and tossed it to Draco.
"Is it a habit of yours to carry around Veritaserum?" Draco asked as he examined the bottle.
"It has its uses. You take some and I will ask one question, if I am happy with you answer I will take some and we will have a nice little chat." Madison explained.
"And if you don't like my answer?"
"Are you familiar with obliviate?"
"You couldn't possibly?" Draco asked astonished.
"I can move a lot faster than you can. I'd cast my spell before you could even take your wand out." She replied.
Draco thought about it for a moment and then took some of the truth potion.
"Test question: Are you getting any from Pansy?"
"What? God no," Draco replied quickly.
"Alright, alright, fair enough. Do you plan on following in your father's footsteps?" Madison asked, hoping to hear the right answer.
"I hate my father," he answered, "And I have seen what he is like with the path he is taken. I hope to redeem the name of Malfoy when this is all over."
"You know you are already labeled a potential Death Eater." Madison told him as she motioned for Draco to give back the bottle of Veritaserum.
"I can't really think of anyone I can truly trust." He watched as Madison took her share of potion, "To tell you the truth, I was bluffing. I don't really know who you are; all I had, was the picture to go on."
Madison was shocked. "So if you had never seen that picture of me you wouldn't have known that something is up?"
"Pretty much,"
"Well let me introduce myself, I am Madison Prince. And you know you could have gone to Dumbledore. Above all he would be the one to believe you." Madison reminded him.
"Even so I would have the Gryffindor dream team still question me. And even though I do admit I have been less then descent to them, I will always be under suspicion." He explained.
"I was asked by Professor Snape to pose as a student for this year; mostly because there might be students like you who are pressured by their parents to follow the same path they have chosen and don't have anyone to turn to for help." Madison told him.
"Snape? But he's a…"
"By having me here he would not jeopardize his status as a spy in the Death Eater ranks."
"Wow, I know my father always suspected but I just thought he was paranoid." Draco admitted.
Madison's attention seemed to be diverted as she gazed towards the front gates of Hogwarts.
"What is it?" Draco asked.
"Professor Snape, Professor Solarea and someone else. I think something has happened. Meet me by the Hospital Wing, but stay out of sight." Madison told him.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked.
"I'm taking a short cut," was all she replied as she stepped off the tower and was out of Draco's sight.
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