“I'm here, wide awake again
This fear is something I call a friend
Hello again
It's been a while since I saw you here
I don't remember you saying goodbye”
Lyrics to “It’s Over” by Vertical Horizon
Disclaimer: I own none of this. It all belongs to J.K. R. Thank you for letting my mind wander…
Chapter 16- Chris
Sarah was standing on the line between consciousness and darkness. She didn’t know where she was or how she got there. She didn’t even know how long she had been there. Had it been a few minutes, hours, or even days? The last thing she remembered was Harry setting her down into the lawn chair. Struggling to stay awake, Sarah observed her surroundings. The cell she was in was dark. Her hands were chained up above her head and she was kneeling on the damp concrete floor. She felt her head ache terribly, but she couldn’t do anything about it. All of the strength in her body had left her and she fought to remain awake.
Suddenly the door to her cell opened. A man in long flowing robes glided in through the gate. Sarah recognized him as the man who had apologized to her for hurting her. She gritted her teeth. There was no way she was going to tell him anything. The man pulled a chair up in front of her so that she had no choice but to look at him.
“Well, Sarah, it has been a very long time. How have you been?” the man asked her. Sarah closed her eyes, defiant to respond.
“No, I didn’t think you’d recognize me. Maybe you will now,” he said as he took down his hood and lit a torch in the room. Sarah reluctantly looked up at him. She didn’t say anything, but she had the odd feeling that she did know him from a distant time. Shaking his head, the man sat for a moment staring at her.
“‘Keep smiling and always listen to your heart. Never lose hope in people and remember that though times may be bad, always believe that things happen for a reason. Life isn’t random; believe that magic can happen.’ Does that ring a bell, Sarah?” Sarah’s eyes shot up immediately.
“Ah, now I seem to have caught your attention. I guess the heart never forgets. Isn’t that right, my sister?” the man grinned. Fully awake now, Sarah pulled at the chains. She wanted to leave; this whole thing was a trick. A test of some sort. She was sure of it. She looked away from the imposter in front of her.
“You haven’t changed at all. You’re just as stubborn as I remember. I knew you would take a while to get you to talk to me. So for now, just listen,” he said as he pulled Sarah’s face around to meet his. “Whatever that man told you about our parents is wrong. The Dark Lord told me that he did not kill them. They were murdered by those who you call ‘good.’ I’ve joined the Death Eaters to get revenge on those who killed Mum and Dad. Now it’s time that you join us.”
Sarah couldn’t take it any longer. She lost all of her patience with this person claiming to be her brother, Chris.
“Liar! My parents were murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort! My brother died in my arms! I felt his soul leave his body! Everyday I have lived my life with that scene playing over and over in my head, wondering how I could have stopped it. How it could have been different. How dare you claim to be Christopher! You are lower than any scum living on this Earth!” she shouted at him.
“No, Sarah! I may not have died, but I gave my life so that you could live yours! We were never in a car crash. I modified your memory to think that we were so that I could leave. No questions asked. It was easy. The Ministry already thought we were dead. All I had to do was convince you, Bob, and Andrea. I said those words about hope to give you something to live for. I gave my life to Voldemort so that he wouldn’t take you. I made a deal with him, Sarah. I’d join the Death Eaters and in return, I’d get revenge on my dead parents and you would be able to live a normal life until you were of age. Then you would be given the choice of joining us. Once you turned seventeen, however, Voldemort was busy trying to catch Potter so he didn’t think twice about you. Of course, I never said anything and so when Voldemort died, you were still a normal girl.
“But then Malfoy found out somehow. He wanted to ‘fulfill the Dark Lord’s wishes’, so he went looking for you. Still I protected you. I told him that I didn’t know where you were, when in fact I knew exactly where you had been living for the last nineteen years. Naturally, when he found you, I volunteered to go and get you. This brings us back to the present. Now what is your choice?” Chris asked. There was no question in Sarah’s mind that he was in fact Chris. A tear fell from her eye. She cursed at her sudden bout of weakness.
“You are an idiot,” she stated simply. Taken aback, Chris stared at her. He expected many responses from her, but this one never crossed his mind.
“Care to enlighten me?” he prodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Chris, you have everything wrong. I’m not going to join the Death Eaters. And you’re going to come with me. Mum and Dad were killed by Voldemort. I have the evidence to prove it. They were friends with the Potters. Both our parents and the Potters were against Voldemort. Both were killed by Voldemort. You’re very mistaken,” Sarah tried to explain. Chris shook his head impatiently.
“You’re wrong. I don’t have much time with you. Just tell me that you’ll join. I don’t wish to kill my sister, Sarah,” Chris pleaded.
“Who are you going to believe? Some dead guy who tried to take over the world and who killed people for fun? Or are you going to believe your own sister?” Sarah begged him. He jumped up, away from her imploring gaze. He drew back his hand and punched her in the side with a closed fist. She screamed out in pain but felt his face draw close to her ear.
“Forgive me, I had to do that for both our lives,” he whispered before hurrying from the room. Sarah couldn’t do anything but put her head down and close her eyes.
* * *
Harry paced the kitchen of the Burrow repeatedly trying to digest the events of the day. All he could picture in his mind was Sarah dying just like Ginny had. He was alone in the room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were trying to contact all the old Order of the Phoenix members, especially Ron and Hermione. Meanwhile, Harry raised his hands up to the ceiling and shouted:
“What do you want from me? Have I not already given enough? Just take me instead!”
He collapsed into one of the chairs. Concentrating as hard as he possibly could, Harry couldn’t help but wonder what Sarah was thinking right at that moment or if she was even thinking at all. He hated himself for that thought.
* * *
Sarah awoke about an hour later to another man sitting in front of her. It wasn’t Chris this time. He was leaning next to the cell gate. Harry had called this man Malfoy.
“Glad that you’re with us again, Sarah. Chris has told me of your…reluctance to join my little cause. I think I can make you agree. Crucio!” Malfoy bellowed in a bored voice. Again, Sarah felt the horrible sensation of pain spreading throughout her entire body. She didn’t scream. What was the point? Finally the pain stopped.
“You bitch,” Sarah spat. Her language surprised her; she didn’t use profanity very often.
“How dare you! Chris, tighten the chains. I want her to suffer,” he ordered as he swept out of the room. Chris approached Sarah and she glared at him. As he reached up to pull the chains tighter, he gave her an apologizing look. When he started to leave Sarah could have sworn that she heard him say, “I’ll fix this.” She didn’t know what he meant. Her shoulders began to ache.
Through her little cell window, she watched the light dim. Soon it would be nighttime and she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, yet. The minutes went by slowly and they did nothing to help feed her hunger or quench her thirst. Once the sun had set, she sat in the dark, but she couldn’t let herself fall asleep. Her attention was caught by the quiet opening and closing of her cell gate. She was no longer alone. Sarah felt a hand cover her mouth. She didn’t try to scream; nothing surprised her anymore.
“Shh…We’re getting out of here. I’ve been thinking about it. I believe you now,” she heard Chris tell her. “I’m going take the chains off, so I’m going to have to move my hand. Can you promise that you won’t say anything?”
Sarah nodded. He took his hand down and she felt the chains fall off. Rubbing her wrists, Sarah stood up. She didn’t have much time to gain her bearings, however, because Chris already was grabbing her arm and leading her out the gate. She followed him down the hallway and outside. It surprised her that there were no guards at the doors. Chris must have taken care of that already. He noticed her concern.
“I made sure that everyone had drank too much Firewhiskey at dinner tonight,” he whispered proudly. Sarah nodded.
“There are anti-Apparation charms around the proximity of the building. We’re going to have to go on about a ten minute hike. That okay with you?” asked Chris. Sarah nodded once more. They went through the trees at a fast pace. Finally, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when Chris stopped.
“Take my arm, I know you can’t Apparate. Ready?” Chris said.
“Let’s go,” Sarah replied, having taken hold of his arm. She felt herself being pulled and then her feet touched the ground again. A familiar sight greeted her: the Burrow. She started toward the front door, but noticed that Chris wasn’t following. She turned around.
“What are you doing? Come on!” she urged.
“Are you kidding? Potter will kill me on the spot,” he answered.
“I won’t let him. Now come in.”
She dragged him inside. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. She smiled as she cleared her throat loudly. Harry’s head shot up and he seemed to jump to her in one leap. Throwing his arms around Sarah, Harry tenderly kissed her lips, thanking God that she was alive. However, he quickly pulled her behind him when he saw Chris standing in the doorway watching Sarah.
“Sarah, did you know that a Death Eater followed you here?” Harry mumbled.
“Of course I did,” she responded. Harry charged at Chris, pinning him against the wall. Chris fought him back. Immediately, Sarah found herself between the two men, trying to break up the fight.
“Harry! Stop! You don’t understand. You’re trying to kill my brother!” Harry let go of Chris at once. Chris smiled.
“So…what are your intentions with my sister?” he joked. Sarah stifled a laugh, but apparently Harry wasn’t amused. In fact, he looked angry.
“What do you think you’re doing? Sarah told me that you were dead,” Harry roared.
“Look, Harry, I’ll explain,” Sarah suggested. Harry shook his head.
“No, I want him to tell me. Now you better have a good story. And be warned that I’m only listening to you right now because Sarah seems to trust you,” he growled. Chris sat down at the table and started to tell Harry everything. When he reached the part of Sarah’s capture, he added special detail.
“I volunteered to get her because I knew that I’d go easy on her. Everyone else would have tortured her so much that she’d be an inch from death. I made sure that didn’t happen. If I’d had the choice, no one would have gone to get her. But we both would have been killed if I’d resisted. I figured that this was the best way.”
“You should have never joined the Death Eaters in the first place,” Harry retorted. Chris jumped up.
“Hasn’t the great Harry Potter ever made a damned mistake before? Or is Harry Potter above mistakes?” Chris shouted as he inched closer to Harry. Harry’s temper was rising fast and his eyes darkened. Chris’ dull green eyes narrowed as he felt the anger flow.
“I’ve made several mistakes. My most recent one being granting you entrance into this house. I want you out. Now!” Harry barked pointing toward the door. Defiantly, Chris stood still in front of him. Just then they heard the screeching of a chair as it was pushed across the floor. Sarah had been leaning against it, but now she was in heap on the floor. Harry had completely forgotten about her. Pushing Chris out of his way, he ran over to Sarah and kneeled next to her.
“Get me some water,” he ordered Chris, who didn’t have to be told twice. Running over to the sink, Chris grabbed the nearest cup, almost spilling it on his way over to his sister. Harry took hold of the cup and splashed some in Sarah’s face, hoping that it would wake her from her stupor. The door slammed open as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came running into the room.
“We heard shouting. What’s going on in here?” Mr. Weasley demanded. Harry wasn’t listening and neither was Chris.
“Oh my! Watch out, dear. Let me help,” Mrs. Weasley pushed her way through the two young men. She held her wand out over Sarah and whispered a few things. Sarah’s eyes snapped open and her breathing was heavy. Harry worriedly looked at Mrs. Weasley.
“Do we have to go to St. Mungo’s?” he asked.
“Maybe just to make sure she’s okay. Sarah, honey, do you think you can side-along Apparate?” Mrs. Weasley asked gently. Sarah nodded. Harry jumped to his feet and faced Chris.
“You’re going to want to change your clothes if you’re coming. I can’t stop you, but this isn’t over,” he hissed. Chris nodded and Harry pointed him in the direction of his room. He would have to borrow some inconspicuous clothing for a while. When Chris came downstairs again, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Everyone was still in the kitchen preparing to Apparate. Harry had of course volunteered to take Sarah with him. No one argued. As soon as Chris appeared to be ready, they all vanished from the kitchen. Mr. Weasley guided Chris since he had never visited St. Mungo’s before.
Arriving at the hospital, Harry scooped Sarah up into his arms and rushed her to the front desk. Unsure what exactly was wrong with her, the receptionist sent them to the Fourth Floor: Spell Damage. There, they waited patiently for the Healer to come back and tell them what the harm was. Harry briefly explained to the Weasleys that Chris was Sarah’s brother. Harry told them that he’d tell them more later when they were not at the hospital. Chris paced the hallway as they waited. When he sat down, it was only for a minute and then he was back up again. Harry sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair begrudgingly.
The minutes passed by without any sign of Sarah’s Healer and Harry started getting restless. How Sarah managed to get hurt all of the time was a complete mystery to him and not one of her better traits in his opinion. He wished that Hermione was with him like the last time he was waiting for a Healer. As much as he pushed her away, deep down Harry knew that Hermione’s presence had kept him strong. Chris was still pacing and it was driving Harry crazy. He jumped up to his feet intending to tell Chris to sit, but instead he changed direction and headed toward the double doors at the end of the hallway. He needed to find Sarah. Harry couldn’t wait like he did for Ginny because if something was wrong, he needed to know now.
Passing through the doors, Harry found himself in another long hallway. He wondered where Sarah was. Above one door on the right, a sign said “EMERGENCY.” Harry had a feeling that he would find Sarah in there so he headed toward the door. When he opened the door and let himself in, a Healer ran over to him.
“Sorry, sir, authorized personnel only, please. You’re going to have to sit in the family area until we come to get you,” she said. Her name tag told Harry that her name was Michelle and she was head of her department.
“No, Michelle, I’m sorry. I need to see Sarah. Please don’t do this to me again. I’ll give you anything you want,” Harry pleaded. Michelle thought for a moment, her eyes glancing to the faded scar on his forehead.
“You’re Harry Potter,” she stated surprisingly. Harry rolled his eyes.
“Unfortunately,” he replied. Michelle laughed.
“I know your story. I guess I can make an exception this one time; you may come in if you wish. Sarah is barely conscious. You may hold her hand but I advise you not to get in our way or else I’ll have to ask you to leave. Okay?”
“Great! Thank you so much.” Harry followed Michelle into the room. She talked while they approached the group of Healers.
“She’s been put under some sort of spell which we’ve never encountered before. It’s very strange because sometimes she’s very lively and conscious. However, other times, Sarah can be quite unresponsive and comatose. We fear that she won’t be strong enough to continue these bouts much longer. Do you have any recollection about what might have caused her current state, Mr. Potter?”
Harry thought for a moment and he mind flashed to Christopher. He was suddenly very angry.
“No, but somebody else might. Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” he responded as he ran out the door before Michelle could reply. He ran full speed down the hallway and through the double doors. Just as he figured, Chris was still pacing. For the second time that night, Harry found himself attacking Chris. Only this time, he used his wand to throw him against the wall. Chris looked up, dazed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ran over to Harry, yelling at him.
“What do you think you’re doing!” Mrs. Weasley bellowed, “This isn’t the time or the place for that kind of behavior!”
Harry pushed through her, focused on Chris.
“What spell did you use on Sarah?” Harry intimidated.
“I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
“You know damned well what I’m referring to. Now tell me what spell is on Sarah,” Harry shouted.
“Harry, I really don’t know what you’re getting at,” Chris tried, but Harry rounded on him again.
“It is in your best interest to tell me, Christopher, or your sister will die,” Harry cried. He didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Chris was speechless so Mr. Weasley stepped in between the young men.
“Harry, slow down. Tell me what you’ve found out.”
Harry told them about the unknown spell as they listened closely. He didn’t want to believe that Chris didn’t know what the spell was. If he knew, Sarah could be saved. However, things could become complicated if he didn’t know.
“Harry, if I knew I would tell you to save my sister’s life. I really feel helpless right now. Tell me what I can do,” Chris muttered. He really couldn’t remember when someone had had a chance to place a spell on her without his knowing. Harry pulled Chris away from the Weasleys.
“Right, fine, I’m going to have to trust you. I need you to go back to the Death Eaters. Find out what the spell is. Then come back and tell me. You must be fast,” Harry explained. Chris’ jaw dropped.
“Are you kidding? Harry, they’ll kill me,” Chris argued. Harry shook his head.
“No, they won’t. Voldemort’s not there anymore; the Death Eaters have gotten softer. Tell them that I came and helped Sarah escape and you chased after us unsuccessfully. Then suggest that you go to check St. Mungo’s for Sarah, but you need to know which spells she’s under so that you can locate her. Reassure them that you’ll be careful and then come back here. I’ll contact some Aurors to come here in case your ‘friends’ decide to follow. Now go and it’s vital to be quick,” Harry finished. Chris shook his head uncertainly but then he ran toward the elevator. Harry had the feeling that he would be successful. It wasn’t an option”he had to be.
Harry raced back toward Sarah’s room and he found the Healer Michelle again.
“I’ve sent someone to find out what the spell is. They should be back soon,” Harry said.
“For Sarah’s sake, I hope you’re right,” Michelle whispered. Harry took Sarah’s hand in his and did the only thing which he could do: he waited.
* * *
Chris half-ran toward the doors to the outside of the hospital; it was hard to avoid the people who were slowing him down. He couldn’t believe that he was going back to the Death Eaters. He considered that it was like traveling toward his own death. He now hated Harry Potter. Why did he always have to be so right? As soon as he was ten paces away from the building, Chris Apparated with a ‘pop.’
After running for a few minutes, he immediately saw the familiar sight of the Death Eaters’ hideout appear in front of him. Sighing, Chris wondered one more time why he was doing this.
“It’s for Sarah,” he muttered to himself. “It’s always for Sarah.”
He turned the doorknob to the front door and let himself inside. They really need better security, he thought. Remembering that he had changed his clothes earlier, Chris looked around near the front door for something he could wear. He successfully found one of his own black cloaks that he left there the night before because he was in such a hurry to leave. Wrapping the cloak around him, Chris took the familiar route to the meeting room down the hallway on the left. It was unusually quiet in the building which made Chris feel uneasy.
“Boo!” a voice said from behind him. He jumped frightened, but he knew that voice. Smiling, he turned around to face Kelly Reagan, a medium height young woman with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She grinned at his sudden bout of fear and she greeted him with a peck on the cheek. Chris and Kelly had been a couple for almost a year now. Chris wondered what Kelly would do when he told her that he was leaving the Death Eaters.
“Hey, Beautiful,” Chris greeted her. Kelly’s face turned serious as she stared at him.
“Don’t ‘hey, beautiful” me, Mr. Where were you last night? I was worried,” she inquired. He ignored the question, pulled her up into a warm hug, and tickled her. She squirmed a bit and laughed.
“Don’t worry about that now. Where is everyone?” Chris asked.
“They’re in the meeting room discussing how they’ll kill you when you show up. I’m scared for you, but you better have a good story for why your sister is now free. Also, you need to tell me how you got that black eye and those gashes,” Kelly demanded. Chris smirked.
“You should see the other guy,” he commented as he glided into the meeting the room ready to face what he had come here to do. With Kelly at his side, Chris felt his confidence level soar. Kelly was right; everyone was in the room and they were all reading a handout. He noticed the small stack of papers on the shelf to his right and he took one silently. Malfoy was at the head of the table. Why Malfoy was head of the Death Eaters was beyond Chris. In his opinion, he himself was the better wizard. Regardless, Chris looked at the handout which detailed the amount of ‘treachery’ that he was accused of for helping Sarah escape. Of course, they had no real proof that he did what he did, so Chris cleared his throat loudly. Malfoy stood up as soon as he caught sight of him and was about to shout an order when Chris raised his hand up to him.
“Shut up, Malfoy,” he said simply. Murmuring filled the room as everyone wondered what Malfoy would do. Truth be told, they all had wanted to say that to Malfoy at some point, but none of them had the audacity to do it. Kelly stepped away from Chris and she took her seat at the table. Chris was usually Malfoy’s right-hand-man and everyone knew that he would overtake Malfoy one day and frankly, they wished it would happen soon. Chris had the support of the people in the room and Malfoy didn’t. That was just the way it was and Malfoy knew it. He slowly sat back down.
“Thank you, Draco. Now, I see that someone has been spreading false propaganda about me. Although I am flattered to see that you are thinking about me when I’m not here, I would just like all of you to forget what is on the piece of paper before you. It’s completely untrue. Please let me explain to you where my midnight travels brought me last night,” Chris began. He started to tell story that Harry had suggested he share with the group. He had repeated the tale in his head the whole way over here and he was telling it perfectly. His audience seemed convinced and they asked him what his next plan of action was.
“Actually, I did have an idea about that,” he announced. “I want to go to St. Mungo’s. It would be the first place that Potter would take her”I’m sure of it. However, I would need to know which spells were placed on her so I can find her properly. Malfoy?”
Malfoy looked up when he realized that Chris was addressing him.
“I don’t know, it sounds dangerous. Potter will kill you before you even get near the girl,” Malfoy pointed out. Chris shook his head.
“I’ll wear a disguise; he won’t even know. I was planning on dressing like a Healer. Clever, huh?” he explained proudly.
“Although he may seem like it, Potter’s not stupid; you’ll have to be discreet.”
“I won’t fail. I just need to know the spells,” he insisted. Malfoy shrugged his shoulders.
“Fine, I put her under a Slow Death curse. That’s all. If Potter’s figured out how to counteract the curse, the incantation is Lentenescio*. Use it on her again if you must,” Malfoy said in a bored voice. Mentally, Chris was kicking himself. He knew that spell because Voldemort himself had taught it to him. It slowly killed a person within twenty-four hours. It was supposed to bring excruciating pain, too, causing the victim to sometimes fall unconscious. Chris honestly didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it before. Of course, he already new the counter curse: Vivamrevenio**. They were created by Voldemort a very long time ago when he was bored one day.
“Great. So I’ll get ready and see what I can do. I’d like to do this job alone because it would be easier with just one person. Thank you for your help. Kelly, a word outside please?” Chris quickly said as he swept out of the room. Kelly hastily followed him wondering what he wanted.
“Kelly, this is very dangerous for me,” he lied. “I don’t know if I’ll see you again. If I’m caught, it’s likely that I’ll never see you another time.”
Chris hated to see her worry, but he wasn’t coming back unless he absolutely had to which meant that it was highly probable that this would be the last time he would see Kelly. He wanted so badly to take her with him, but it would compromise his mission. She had also been recruited at a young age and was as vulnerable and impressionable as he was. Chris was sure that like him, she wasn’t really a Death Eater at heart, but he didn’t want to risk it. She was tough, but at that moment, he saw tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
“Then don’t go,” she begged. Chris shook his head.
“I have to. Maybe with time you’ll understand.”
“You don’t have to, Christopher. At least let me come with you. Or we could run away together,” she suggested.
“It’s tempting, but you know we can’t do that. I promise that I’ll find you again if I get caught,” he assured. It killed Chris to lie to her. A tear ran down her cheek and he wiped it away, lingering for a moment on her face. Then he pulled her up into a warm kiss, fully knowing that it would probably be the last one that they had together. He knew he didn’t have much time now. Sarah’s life depended on him and he couldn’t waste anymore time. Kelly clung to him now.
“I love you,” she whispered. Chris felt his face grow hot. He was about to lose it and he had to get out of there fast.
“I love you, too, Kelly,” he muttered in her ear. Then he let go and turned to depart, leaving Kelly standing in the hallway, crying softly. He ran out across the front yard and as soon as he knew he was far enough away, he Apparated. Chris prayed to God that he had made it in time to save his sister’s life.
* Lentenescio: In Latin, lente means slow and nescio means I kill. So literally, Lentenescio means I kill slowly.
** Vivamrevenio: Again in Latin, vivam means life and revenio means I bring back or I return. Literally, this incantation means I bring back life.