Dark Magic

Changes in the Wind...

We arrived at The Leaky Cauldon with the harshest stop I had ever experienced in my entire life; the force of us coming to a halt caused Harry to fall face-first into the front of the bus window. I tried not to laugh, helping my brother with his trunk as we made our way off the bus. It appeared, however, that a person was waiting for us outside; a bald man, with a hunchback and a strange grin made his way towards us.

"Ah, Harry and Emerald Potter. At last!" He let out a sigh of relief, almost expecting our arrival. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, "You was expecting us?" I queried, causing him to nod with a snorted chuckle, "Of course! The Minister of Magic would like to speak with you both..." He trailed away, as my brother and I exchanged a wary and terrified glance: this was it...We were headed straight for Azkaban.

"Maybe we'll have a cell next to each other in prison?" I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. My brother chuckled lightly, shaking his head at my comment as we were lead through the busy pub, and upstairs to the rooms. We approached a door at the end of the hall, reading 'office'. The hunchback opened it for us both, allowing us to step inside.

Harry gasped, "Hedwig!" as he ran towards his snowy, white owl perched on one of the bookshelves. I felt a little comfort that his pet knew exactly where we were headed to. But that meant, nobody at Hogwarts knew of our excursion. It may be best that Snape didn't find out.

The Minister of Magic waited at the front desk, his arms opening wide and welcoming to us both, "Ah! Harry, Emerald! I trust that you both got here safe?" We both exchanged a quick glance in suspicion, as I turned back to face Fudge and nodded. "Y-Yes, Minister." I pouted, pointing my index finger towards him, "I'm confused, are we not in trouble?" I tilted my head to the side, as he chuckled hysterically, waving his arms at my questioning.

"Goodness me! No, my dear! Why would you think that?"

Harry took a deep breath beside me, as we lowered ourselves in the two remaining chairs in the room. "But, Minister, underage wizards aren't supposed to use magic outside of school?" I nodded at his statement, which only caused the middle-aged man and the hunchback in the room to explode in another fit of laughter.

"Of course not! We don't send people to prison for hexing their Aunts! Although, it was very irresponsible of you both running away like that! What, with a killer on the loose!?" The Minister's eyes narrowed worryingly towards us both. 

I leaned forth in my chair, remembering the front of the newspaper from the bus, "Do you mean Sirius Black, sir?" I questioned, to which he nodded. "Of course."

Harry was now the one to chime in from beside me, "But, what would Sirius Black want with us?"

The Minister's nerves grew, as though he had revealed something he shouldn't have.

"Oh dear!" My eyes trailed to the Minister's lips, as the words emitted from him yet they did not part for a single syllable. It echoed in my mind for a brief moment, similar to past occurrences I had with Professor Snape. Perhaps...Harry had spoken them under his breath and I only thought the Minister was speaking.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." The Minister spoke finally, with another light-hearted chuckle. "Now, you best both go and tidy yourselves up and get some rest for the night. Go on!" He ushered, to which we both nodded. Harry called Hedwig, as he flew to my brother's arm and we made our way into our own, separate rooms, paid for by the Minister.

I had a bath, before changing into new pyjamas, chosen by McGonagall. I used a spell to dry my hair quickly to its natural curls, tying it away from my face and making my way across the hall, knocking on Harry's door. He opened it within a few moments, his hair damp where he also had bathed. 

I stepped inside his room, finding it identical to my own as I took a seat on his bed. "You alright, Em?" I nodded, before squinting my eyes towards him, "Don't you think it was weird what Fudge said? About Sirius Black?" I paused, causing him to nod and let out a small chuckle of relief, that he wasn't the only one that noticed.

"I know. There's something he's not telling us." He took a seat beside me in the bed, twirling his wand between his fingers absentmindedly. "But whatever it is, we'll be alright. I promise." I nodded at his brotherly reassurance, wanting to believe him...

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Em."

I smiled, pulling him into a brief embrace as I made my way towards his bedroom door. As I reached the doorway, however, I found myself coming to a halt. "Harry?" I turned, my eyes meeting his as he nodded expectantly. "Yeah?"

I sighed, debating whether or not I should ask him the question that plagued my mind...

"Nothing. Love you." I smiled, which he returned with a shy 'love you too', at though he didn't use those words in the same sentence very often... Closing his bedroom door behind me, I tip-toed back across the hallway to my room. I laid in bed until midnight, finding myself missing the familiar comforts of my dormitory and Ash sleeping by my feet. The room felt hauntingly quiet. 

When I finally managed to get to sleep, my dreams were completely devoid of happiness...Finding myself dreaming of murder and death. I was walking in a dimly lit, London street; alone. Although, I knew I was not myself, but inhabiting another person entirely. And as I made my way towards a beggar in the street, I took out my wand, different to the one Emerald Potter owned. The words I spoke were muffled and illegible, before a muffled incantation and a green light emitted from the end of the wand...and that was the last thing I remembered...

I awoke with a gasp, doused in sweat and in pants of breath. I could not ride myself of my bodily shivers, so decided it may be best to take another bath to warm my heart. My head was pounding in agony from the night's torment. What could such a horrific dream mean? And where were these severe spasms of head trauma coming from? I had never experienced a headache quiet like it in my entire life!

I rubbed my eyes, emptying the bath as I wrapped my towel around me. The bathroom mirror was steamed, so I wiped away at the condensation with my hand; never did I expect the terrifying sight I beheld when glancing upon my own reflection in the mirror.

I shrieked at the top of my lungs, forcing the mirror aside so that I could not see myself. The door to my room burst from its hinges, "EM! WHAT'S WRONG!?" I gasped at the sound of Harry's alarmed voice, running to the bathroom door and slamming it shut, locking it before he could enter.

"Nothing! I-I'm Fine!" I called through the door, my heart beating a thousand times a minute as it felt like it could burst from my chest at any given moment.

"You didn't sound fine! Open The Door!" He commanded concernedly from the bedroom. I shook my head, holding my hand over the lock so that he couldn't get in, even with a spell. "No! I've just had a shower! I'll be down in a minute, please Harry!" I begged. 

After a few moments, I heard him sigh in defeat, "Fine! Five minutes otherwise I'm breaking the door down!" He called, as I waited for him to close my bedroom door. I turned back where the mirror now stood, facing the wall in front of me. Stalking towards it, I turned the glass slowly, meeting my own reflection as though it was some sort of monster; and it was.

My eyes had faded to a dull green, and my already pale skin had lost the limited life my complexion possessed. I looked nothing like myself! What had happened to me!? I felt my cheeks, trying to be sure that my reflection was not playing a trick on me. To my horror, it was not. And the most devastating part of my new and inexplicable reflection, was my hair; my sun-kissed, strawberry blonde locks were gone entirely...And had been replaced with a dull, lifeless, grey-almost white colour...This can't be happening...