Ch. 23 Demons
It has been two days since that conversation in my Dad’s office and I still haven’t heard anything. Mum sent a letter telling me she was so proud of me and this summer we’d spend loads of time talking about anything and everything I wanted. I began looking forward to spending time with her, mostly because I missed her, but also because I was already lonely. And it has only been two days.
“It’s your turn to take notes in History of Magic today, Lily,” Sarah reminded me at breakfast.
“Fine, but I haven’t been paying attention at all this term,” I admitted, blushing slightly.
“Well, you’ll have to pay attention today. I need to finish writing my Defense essay so I have more time to study for our Charms exam tonight. So I can’t help you, Lily,” Mack snapped.
“Relax, Mack. I’ll pay attention,” I mumbled, standing up and grabbing my book bag.
“I can’t relax, Lily. We have final exams next week and just because all of this stuff is second nature to you doesn’t mean it’s easy for me,” Mack retorted, following me out of the Great Hall.
I took a deep breath and stopped walking. “Mack, if you need help you can ask for it. Any of us would gladly study with you,” I assured her.
“It will help if you start realizing life doesn’t revolve around you and your issues, Lily! Maybe you should start paying attention to what’s going on around you and stay out of your own head for a day!” she said before stomping away.
“Where’s Mack going?” Sarah asked, just catching up to me.
“I don’t know but something is off with her. She’s angry with me for some reason. Am I too wrapped up in myself?” I asked as we made our way to class.
Sarah stopped and pulled me behind a tapestry. “Look Lily, when was the last time you had a conversation with someone where the topic wasn’t about you? Do you realize that you haven’t asked any of us how we’re doing? Everything has been about you this year! If Mack said something to you, it just means she’s tired of dealing with it. Friendship is supposed to be about more than one person, isn’t it? I haven’t said anything because I didn’t want to be the first one to bring it up, but I’m pretty tired of it too,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my words coming out more uncertain than I had intended.
“You should be. We’re being affected by all this madness too but it seems like you don’t even care! Every incident we witness or have to hear about frightens us, but you don’t even seem to notice!”
“Well I’m sorry that the things going on in my life are affecting you so badly, Sarah. Have you ever stopped to wonder how awful this is for me? I’m the one experiencing horrible dreams and being forced to carry this huge burden around! All you have to do is listen to me talk about it! I would gladly trade places with you! Listening is much easier than seeing and hearing this stuff first hand!” I yelled.
Sarah just shook her head. “You are proving my point right now more than I ever will be able to. I’m going to class now and I’ll take my own notes today,” she said, walking past me.
Anger began filling me as I watched her blonde head still shaking even as she rounded a corner. What right do they have for complaining? How dare I be accused of selfishness just because of what’s happening to me! Fine then, if I’m so wrapped up in myself than why should I even attempt to talk to them? If they are so angry with me, I’ll just save them the trouble and stop hanging around. I’m sure they’d prefer that anyway.
So, with a nod, I held my head high and walked to class and ignored my former friends the entire time.
**
“Today we’ll be reviewing the information we covered regarding Voldemort’s followers, commonly know as Death Eaters. Some of the well-known elite members were Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Yaxley and Avery. These people formed most of Voldemort’s inner circle. You should all be able to recall the part Yaxley played in Voldemort’s 1997 Ministry takeover and be prepared to describe the incident in detail.
“Bellatrix Lestrange was probably the most well-known Death Eater. Keep in mind that Bellatrix and her husband, Rodolphus received life sentences in Azkaban for torturing two Aurors. Be prepared to explain how the two managed to rejoin Voldemort’s forces during the Second War.
“Lucius Malfoy was quite accomplished at avoiding prosecution for any crimes for a long time. In fact, it wasn’t until the Second War that it became undeniable that the man was a member of Voldemort’s elite. There may be a question or two on the exam related to Mr. Malfoy and how he was exposed. His son, Draco, was also suspected of being loyal to Voldemort until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix spoke out for Draco’s defense.
“Crucial information worth remembering about the Avery and Lestrange family is that both families had ties to Voldemort since the beginning of the First War. The two families still are associated with Dark Arts and pureblood superiority beliefs. If you’ll look back in your notes and simply study the incidents I focused rather heavily on, you should be fine for your exam,” Professor Binns finished.
As soon as class ended, I rushed out so to avoid Sarah and Mack. That wasn’t really difficult since they seemed to be thinking the same thing. I didn’t look at either of them as they walked by and they pretended they didn’t even see me. I spent the rest of the day walking to classes by myself, sitting as far from them as possible and generally ignoring their existence.
I stayed in my room during dinner, despite my growling stomach. At least I was isolating myself like Dad had asked me to. It just hurt to know how my friends think of me, well, they aren’t my friends anymore. I felt the tears falling and became even more upset. I didn’t want to be crying about such a trivial thing as losing my two best friends and my big brother in the same year. I didn’t want to be crying about how Trish was right and I had pushed away everyone I really needed. I didn’t want to be feeling such a huge mixture of emotions so strongly and being almost completely confused and frightened all the time.
“I’m so tired of crying,” I whispered to myself.
A knock on the door made me wipe my eyes and jump out of my bed.
“Lily? Can I please come in?”
I recognized Aunt Hermione’s voice and immediately felt a little better. At least I had my Dad and most of my aunts and uncles here to comfort me. “Sure,” I finally answered.
She poked her head in the doorway and smiled slightly. “Hi! I ran into your dad near his office and he asked me to come get you,” she explained as I walked out the door.
“Did he talk to Siri?” I asked, hopefully as we exited the Common Room.
Aunt Hermione nodded. “Yes, and he spoke to Miss Thomas too,” she added, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Term will be over soon and things will calm down once you get home,” she assured me.
I nodded and forced a smile. I really wanted to believe she was right, especially because Aunt Hermione is so rarely wrong, but I knew things would never calm down. I briefly wondered if it would be possible for me to ever truly feel at peace again.
We had stopped in front of Dad’s office door when an incredibly uncomfortable, but entirely familiar, sensation overcame me. Aunt Hermione’s knocking was muffled and becoming more faint. After a brief moment of trying to remain focused on the opening door in front of my, I closed my eyes and lost the fight.
**
I was standing on a beach, the sand sticking to my now bare feet and the setting sun causing my now bare forearms to be covered in goose bumps. Surprised, I looked down and saw I was wearing a green sundress instead of my school robes.
“What’s going on?” I mumbled, touching the hem of the dress in confusion.
“You can either walk into the water or climb the cliff,” a voice responded.
I turned around, searching for the source of the voice. It was then I noticed a beautiful woman seated on a previously unoccupied rock.
“Hello,” I said, walking towards her.
“Hello, Lily” she responded with a smile.
“Where am I?” I asked her, taking another moment to scan my surroundings. Nothing looked remotely familiar.
“You must choose. You must either climb or swim,” she told me.
I wasn’t in the mood for either activity or any form of riddle solving. It had been a long day, actually it had been a long year, and I just wasn’t up for this anymore.
“Can’t I just go home?” I requested, trying to think of a way out.
Her smile suddenly seemed to become more forced. “No, you must choose,”
“No, I don’t have to do anything. I’m just going to sit here and wait until I figure out a way to get out of here. Then, I’m going to leave and it won’t be an exit by water or cliff-climbing,” I snapped.
Suddenly, she lunged at me. I was so shocked that I didn’t react until she already had her hand around my throat. White hot, searing pain ripped through my body so forcefully I began convulsing. Pain and fear blinded me and I felt as if my ears were bleeding from my high pitched screams.
“I can kill you right now, Lily Potter. There is no one to save you and no way for you to escape. With you dead, everything will be easier. I’m so tempted because you are so weak and vulnerable, but instead I will keep you stuck here with me. You will be stuck here until I feel the desire to release you, which may never happen,” the woman cackled gleefully.
I let out another cry of pain as I felt something cut my arm. We wrestled in the sand and I scrambled to get away from her but I couldn’t. I was blinded by pain and hopelessness. And then I saw it, a beam of light coming towards me. My sobs increased as I felt more cuts across my arms and stomach. I gazed at that beam and willed it to take me far, far away from here.
“LILY!”
I heard my name but had no idea who had shouted it. The light was almost to my fingertips when I suddenly felt feather light and was being lifted out of the awful woman’s grasp. My vision was still blurry but I could just see my wand being held up by my bloodied right hand. I must have cast some sort of charm to escape although I have no idea when or how or what charm I used.
The white light was gone now and the woman was fading away as I rose higher. I felt tired, so completely exhausted that my eyes closed suddenly. I could feel myself drifting on and then landing on something warm and rather comfortable. I didn’t open my eyes because I was frightened of what I would see. And I was tired, so very, very tired.
**
“How did she get here?” a voice whispered.
“I’m not sure, Sybill,” a second voice answered.
My head felt heavy and my body felt so stiff, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to move at all. I opened my eyes to see Sybill changing a bandage on my arm. A man I didn’t recognize was standing in the doorway, watching Sybill tend to me.
“Where am I?” I asked, my voice coming out hoarse.
“At Tom’s house,” Sybill answered, unable to completely hide the relief flooding her face.
“Oh, Tom’s house,” I repeated, sarcastically. I was annoyed that she thought simply naming the location would explain everything.
I was definitely in a house though. The shades had been drawn over all the windows and there didn’t appear to be any decorations anywhere. I had been placed on a blue couch in a small room and I could just see a smaller bedroom through another open door. Sybill finished changing my bandages, handed me a potion and sat down in a chair across from me.
“Lily, do you hurt anywhere?” she asked me.
My eyes filled up with tears and I let out an annoyed sigh. “I hurt everywhere, Sybill. My left arm feels like its on fire, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to lift my head again and I really just want to go home,” I complained, a sob escaping me as I finished.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around me and squeezed gently. Rather than the gesture hurting me, I actually started to feel a little better.
“You can go home but we can’t help you, Lily. You’re going to have to get back yourself,” Tom explained.
I nodded as he let me go. I had expected to be told something of that nature so I wasn’t disappointed. I drank the potion Sybill had handed me and felt a warm, tingling sensation coursing through my body.
“Lily, before you go, could you please tell us what happened to you?” Sybill requested.
So I told them both all about the beach and the woman who attacked me. They both looked surprised and concerned. And at one point, Tom actually sank into an empty chair on the other side of Sybill, his mouth set in a frown.
“Do you have any idea who that mean woman was?” I asked.
“It was probably just a demon,” Sybill answered, looking at Tom rather than me.
“Just a demon?” I scoffed.
“Yes. You see, as long as evil exists there will be demons, Lily. The important thing to remember is that demons grow stronger as evil spreads and they are becoming more numerous and more dangerous each day. You must be careful. You are something of a target for them because of your ability. Since you can foresee evil and other disastrous events, you can prevent those incidents from happening. If you prevent enough evil from spreading, the demons will loose their large numbers and their strength,” Tom explained.
“Oh, okay,” I said, not really understanding the importance of his words.
“No, it’s not okay. You must be safe at all times now. With the events happening in your world, there are consequences that affect us here. You are not always among friends and you must never assume any individual you come across is someone who will help you,” he pressed.
“I know, and I’ll be careful,” I promised. “Oh, and thank you very much for helping me,” I added, standing up on wobbly feet.
I didn’t wait for a response because I needed to get back and I didn’t know how long I’d be able to stay standing. I closed my eyes and decided I should probably try picturing Dad’s office since that was the last place I had been. I saw the hardwood maple floors and the red couch near the table. He’d have at least three mugs sitting on that table and he would be sitting in his tattered red armchair while Aunt Hermione would be sitting in a new brown chair.
I opened my eyes and tried to smile as I discovered I had made it.
“Lily?”
I turned my head to see my Mum’s pale face. She was gazing at me in disbelief from Dad’s tattered chair. I managed a small smile as she rushed over to me.
“What happened to you? We’ve been so worried! Where did you go? What did you See? Are you all right? How did you get all these cuts?” she asked as she switched between squeezing me tight and inspecting my wounds.
“Water,” I stated.
A glass was under my nose in an instant and as I reached up I saw my Dad standing next to my Mum. Aunt Hermione rushed over and she pushed her way by my parents to give me a quick hug and a peck on the forehead.
“I was so worried,” she whispered before stepping back.
“We all were, Lily,” Dad said, leaning down to hug me.
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed, “but it was so awful! I’ve never been so frightened!”
“Can you talk about it, honey?” Mum asked as she tenderly rubbed some cream on my cuts.
I managed a small nod and took a large drink of the water that had been handed to me. And then I began reliving the horrible ordeal that I had just experienced. I told them about the choice between climbing the cliff or walking into the water. Dad, Mum and Aunt Hermione kept interrupting my tale with requests for details or further explanations. I answered their questions with as much detail as I could recall but there wasn’t much to tell.
I yawned loudly while Aunt Hermione and Dad were discussing something and Mum caught it…just like always.
“That’s enough for tonight. Lily, we’re going to give you a Sleeping potion so you won’t dream tonight, and I don’t want to hear any arguments about it. Harry, we can have her stay here with you until exams are finished, right?” Mum asked.
Dad nodded and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. As he stepped back, Mum whispered something to him but I couldn’t hear any part of it. Aunt Hermione wrapped me in another bone crushing hug, gave Mum and Dad quick kisses on their cheeks before leaving.
“Okay Silly Lilly, time for bed,” Dad said with a forced smile.
“You haven’t called me Silly Lilly since I was five,” I said as he picked me up and carried me to the spare bedroom.
Mum followed us with the potion in hand. As soon as Dad placed me on the bed, Mum slid in next to me and handed me the vial.
“Drink up, honey. I’ll stay here with you for awhile just to make sure you’re okay,” she promised, pushing my hair out of my eyes.
I tipped the vial back and drained the contents. I was glad Mum was going to stay for awhile because I didn’t know how soundly I would sleep. I felt uneasy and a little guilty…I hadn’t mention the encounter with Sybill and Tom to any of them. There was no hidden reason behind my concealment though, I was frightened. What if the only reason I ended up with Sybill and Tom meant that for a short time, I had actually been dead?