TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Part II: Chapter Twelve

The screaming outside didn't stop. Tom did his best to tune it out. He scowled harshly as he pulled out drawers, threw aside papers and toppled desks all in search for the documents he wanted to find. His eyes quickly scan across each page, searching and searching for the word 'Malumis'. This was all on him now. All on HIM. He'd gotten everyone into this mess. He'd gotten everyone onto his cause. Now it was time for his end of the bargain.

Mia stood petrified in the middle of the room, her eyes locked on Tom as he ravaged through the endless sea of papers. She was completely silent. She just... watched.

Then the screaming stopped. It happened abruptly. Like a turned off light switch. Tom paused his searching.

"Paul!" he yelled out. No response, "Paul!" he repeated again. Realisation dawned on him. He looked away from the door, as if hiding from what he knew was on the other side.

And then, just as Tom expected, the banging started. Like the cracking of whips, loud blasts were heard impacting the two large doors to the office. Tom was more glad than ever that he set up those seals when he had, even if it was a dangerous maneuver. Nobody was getting through those doors any time soon.

"... Is Paul dead?" Mia's whisper was barely heard. Tom paused his searching. He was breathing heavily, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Slowly he turned around and bent down to be on Mia's level. His eyes looked so tired as he gazed into hers. He opened his mouth to speak but words failed him. EVentually he gave up and just nodded sadly. Mia looked as if she was about to cry. Tom, with great difficulty, pulled himself back up and continued searching through the piles.

Never did he imagine it would ever come to this.

How did this even start?
How did he get here?
Just a few years ago he was nothing but a lonely little boy, lost and alone. And now he'd started an uprising. And that all came from what even he only thought was a grudge. But he turned out to be more than that. More than anything anyone could've imagined. The subjugation of his people; the death of Harry Potter and now the death of Paul Layne...

Tom felt his own hands quiver as the weight of everyone suddenly set in. He kept on searching though- mindlessly scanning over page after page. Surely, surely, SURELY something had to be here. If there wasn't then everything would've been all for nothing-

Tom finally grasped it. He held it in his hands. He took a step back in shock and emotion completely overwhelmed him. A large black book, under everything, hidden almost completely with one word written on the cover in bleeding crimson: 'Malumis'. His breathing quickened. Mia could tell something had happened. She rushed over to him to see. Tom quickly flipped through the book. He read certain extracts.

'The Young Family enslaved these inhabitants...'

'These inhabitants had never-before-seen levels of magical talent and prowess. They were harnessed by the Young Family.'

'Many of these riches were originally property of the Malumis People...'

This was it. Everything. Perfect evidence. Tom didn't know whether to burst out laughing or crying. Unable to do either he dropped to the floor, his legs buckling beneath him. He'd lost all his strength. There was no way for him to continue fighting. Mia instantly turned to him, concern brewing on her face.

"What happened, are you alright?" she quickly asked. Tom had trouble but nodded with difficulty.

"This is it," he said, his voice hoarse, "This proves everything we said, this document will set our family free."

Mia smiled at him but still had a face full of concern.

"C-can we go home now?" She knew the answer to the question herself. Tom slowly looked towards the door. The banging outside hadn't stopped. On the other side were more than half a dozen trained aurors shooting spells directly at the door and ready to kill as soon as they entered the room.