Dark Magic

Awake

I just stood there for a moment, staring at my Professor; completely stunned at his outburst. Unable to breathe, let alone speak in retaliation to his words. He let out pants of breath, almost in disgust at himself and the clear revelation I was not supposed to know about. 

"EMERALD!" I shuddered in my place, turning in the direction of the voice as a figure burst through the door. My eyes found Hermione Granger's, her mousy curls cascading in front of her face distracting me, for a brief moment, from the issue at hand. Her thoughts were scattered; darting too quickly from one to the other for me to comprehend.

"It's Harry; He's Awake!"

***

It took us a few minutes to finally reach the hospital wing; my thoughts utterly consumed with the desperation to reach my brother and make sure he was ok. I burst through the wing, finding him crowded by a group of Gryffindor students I had come to know over my time at the school; Ron, Fred, George, Neville, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

"Harry." I gasped at the sight of him, bruised and his face cut to ribbons in the sleat. My eyes stung, as I leapt into his arms, "Ow, Em!" He winced, causing me to quickly pull away, "Sorry." I sobbed, shaking my head at him in disbelief. "What the hell happened!? You scared me half to death." 

My brother shrugged, "Dementors. Who won the match?" I scoffed at him caring more about the game than his life. Ron let out a small sigh, "Hufflepuff. Diggory caught the snitch just after you...well..." He trailed away. Fred and George chimed in, "-Diggory got the Snitch. Just after you fell. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square ... even Wood admits it.."

Cedric Diggory was a nice boy, I knew that much. Perhaps, it would be beneficial for me to take him up on his offer to help me; he was obviously a better Captain that Marcus Flint, whose methods I had found to be problematic during the previous year.

"There's um...Something else you should know too, Harry..." We glanced over at his red-headed friend, as he turned sorrowful; he was holding something in his arms, wrapped in a blanket. "When you fell...Your broom it-sort of-blew into the Whomping Willow and...Well..." He exposed a part of the broken broom, causing a small gasp to emit from me. If Harry cherished his broom half as much as I did, I knew how heartbroken he would be.

I turned back to face him, the shock and sadness evident in his eyes, "It's alright, though, Harry. We'll use some of the money mum and dad left us and buy you a better broom." I reassured, taking his hand in mine and giving it a tight squeeze. He nodded, forcing a small smile. "Thanks, Em."

We spent the rest of the time discussing the match, but I couldn't distract my own thoughts from the impending conversation with Professor Lupin; who had sent me to the orphanage? I had always just assumed I had been there since birth. Did I spent some of my childhood elsewhere? If so, who was taking care of me? I would need to do some digging...

Deciding it would be beneficial for me to head straight to the library after my brother was discharged by Madam Pomfrey, I began reading. I doubted a Professor would be able to help me with my endeavours; Snape would have been no use and Lupin didn't look as though he was about to explain his actions...No, I needed to do this myself.

I had read a chapter about apparition in the past; an extremely advanced spell. Non-verbal, and most wizards would need a license in order to perform such a feat. From my previous track record, I thought it could be something I was able to handle. I quickly took the book from the library and made my way to the Slytherin common room. Before anyone had a chance to speak to me about Harry, I locked myself in the Prefect's bathroom and began reading through.

In order to successfully disapparate; one would need a completely clear headspace; the hardest thing for a Legilimens to do. Therefore, my isolation was imperative. Next, a vivid image of the place they wish to visit; a photograph was preferable. Only, I never kept any photos of my time at Wool's; the place I would need to transport myself to. And lastly, the belief in the possibility of being able to move from one place to another in the brief blink of an eye...

I quickly washed and dressed before anybody else, pretending to be asleep and waiting for the rest of the castle to succumb to slumber. Their thoughts were silent as they slept dreamlessly; peaceful. Tranquil, if not for a brief time. Had it been any other night, I would have laid there and enjoyed the silence. But not tonight.

I grabbed my backpack and wand, stuffing some pillows under my bed covers so that nobody would notice my absence and made my way from the common room. "You know, Filch is doing his rounds through the dungeons, at present." I gasped at the sound of another voice, turning briskly to find the Bloody Baron sat by the fireplace. "You best wait a few more minutes, Miss Potter." 

Nodding suspiciously, I took a seat beside him opposite the fireplace. We both looked up at the photograph of Salazar Slytherin. "I met him a few times, you know?" I raised an eyebrow inquisitively at his statement. "What was he like?" I asked. The Baron sighed, shaking his head distastefully, "He was a cruel man; but a great and powerful wizard; the only reason I wanted to be sorted into Slytherin. But, by the time I came to Hogwarts, he was getting older. His descendants were all the same; witty, sly and had a knack for getting into trouble and avoiding the consequences; like yourself." He remarked.

I scoffed, "Well, luckily for me, I'm not the heir of Slytherin." The Baron chuffed slightly in his seat, stirring uncomfortably as he adjusted his chains. "Indeed. There is something about you, however..." He trailed away, in deep thought for a moment. "Someone scarcely similar to those Slytherin descendants....You have it, you know..." The Baron paused, with a smug eyebrow raised. 

"What's that, Sir?" I pressed, unable to read the thoughts of a ghost.

The Baron smirked in his chair, licking his lips, "The possibility of becoming the most powerful sorceress in the world. Possibly, stronger than Voldemort or even Dumbledore, himself....That Slytherin Spark..."

I pouted confidently at his comment, recoiling back into my seat. I wouldn't take the Baron's statement with more than a pinch of salt. What power did he hold over the world that could possible make his statement true in the slightest?

"Try not to look too smug, Miss Potter." He chastised me, causing a small chuckle to emit from my mouth. The Baron paused for a moment, smiling at his own remark, "Filch is gone now. Keep an eye out for Professor Snape, however. He's been a great deal on edge, of late; wandering the corridors each night in search for.....Well, you know who..."

I nodded, accepting his instructions with a small 'thanks' and exiting the dungeons, with ease. To my surprise, I did not find a Professor Snape stalking the school; perhaps, a night of rest was in order. The Dementors were easy enough to sneak past. And I soon found myself on the outskirts of the school, readying myself to disapparate to the orphanage.

Repeating my mantra, I closed my eyes and envisioned the orphanage, outstretching my wand in front of me...

I was there for a moment, in the forbidden forest.......And then........I was gone......