burn me to hell [1]

⨷Chapter 21

"so, shall we talk."

Snape and dumbledore were sitting on the table, still recovering from the effects of that nightmare while azalea sat on the couch, yawning.

"I've never seen such a mind before. What are you, azalea."

She thought for a moment before replying, " I am azalea grace McClivert. A slytherin. That's what I know. These powers, I don't know how I got them. I just had them somehow, since I was a child."

"how did you do that."

"it was my mind you were invading. My mind is my territory. Anything I want, will happen there. You will see what I want you to see and you can't escape it." She said sternly.

"did you use the killing curse, azalea."

"no."

"then how was the memory there.?"

"because it was an illusion. I casted it because I wanted to see something, someone's reaction. And I got what it wanted. The spider is still alive.... probably."

The men had their mouth agape. She can cast illusions. Even the most skilled wizards couldn't cast one so real as her's. she was very powerful, and dumbledore could already see what she was capable of doing.

" headmaster, I think you should..." snape couldn't complete the sentence as a large spear pierced his abdomen. He fell down to the floor, blood pooling around.

"professor" azalea rushed to him, full of tears. "WHAT HAPPENED?" she yelled at dumbledore. He couldn't move, he couldn't feel anything. Snape was killed right before his eyes and he couldn't do anything.

" HEADMASTER" azalea's scared voice brought him back. There was someone standing in the shadows. Dumbledore waved his wand, but even his own wand betrayed him. Azalea got up and tried to run but she was grabbed by the shadow.

"leave the girl." Dumbledore pleaded to the man.

There was an evil laugh and the man stopped before slicing his wand through her neck. Blood oozed out and she fell to the floor, her dead eyes staring back at him. Snape and now azalea. He couldn't defend them from the shadow. 

Suddenly everything changed and he found himself floating through his own memories. He saw himself with a little tom riddle, but something felt off. These memories weren't his, they were a darker version of his own memories. He found himself sitting against a wall, in a corridor. The sounds of bird chirping, water running and a hymn being sung reached his ears. 

"beautiful, isn't it." Azalea said, sitting beside him. She wasn't like the student he saw. She was dressed in white and a floral crown was placed on her head. Behind her was snape, admiring the view. He didn't have his usual scowl and seemed to be enjoying the beauty.

"what happened" dumbledore choked out.

Azalea laughed. But this time, it wasn't devilish, it was a soft angelic laugh. "we were killed."

"how" he sobbed. Suddenly snape disappeared and her eyes turned black. Her face started turning blue and blood started oozing out from her neck, "you killed us. YOU KILLED US"

Dumbledore was sucked back into his office where lifeless bodies of snape and azalea lay. The man in the shadows came out, laughing. voices rang in his ears. Words were repeated. imposter. Graveyard. Death. Someone will be coming back.

"you're trapped. Old man" harry. It was harry. But it wasn't. it appeared as if he was possessed. "harry listen to me."

"AVADA KEDAVRA"

"HARRY! NO"

--x---x---

" HEADMASTER, WAKE UP" snape's voice boomed in his ear. His eyes shot open and he saw snape siting in front of him. He looked over to azalea, who sat on the couch with a knowing smirk.

"he'll need some tea. Professor."

"how are you both alive, you were dead." Snape looked at him as if he had grown another head while azalea just smiled.

"illusion, headmaster" she told him, " it was an illusion. Everything you saw in these few minutes was an illusion. Professor snape isn't dead and potter isn't a murderer."

Snape looked at her appalled, with a 'you killed me' look on his face. Dumbledore seem to get his spirits back after a few cups of tea.

"your powers are immense, Miss McClivert. Never in my life have I encountered such dreadful, soul breaking scenes."

She smiled, the use of illusions tired her. It was the main reason she didn't cast them often. "what else can you do."

"I am sorry, but I won't share my powers with you, headmaster." She refused him. Her powers had to remain a secret and she can't let anyone know the full extent of her abilities.

"what you felt was an extremely powerful illusion. It takes too much of my power to cast one. Illusions make people mad, headmaster. And I roam around with the power to make one in my hands. During the second task, it was the kraken that attacked me, it dragged me down. I felt like I was going to die but I saw visions, you heard what I saw. You have to believe me. I don't know what exactly will happen but this is the warning of the merpeople. You know better than to ignore it."

Snape didn't say anything. He thought she was delusional, but what she showed him in her mind was beyond his knowledge. Still, he couldn't believe the warning.

"nothing can be done now, azalea." Dumbledore started, "the lives of the champions are bound to the goblet of fire. They have to compete. Harry seems troubled too."

"do as you wish, professor. I can protect myself. It's the school that's in danger." She didn't wait to hear more and walked out.

"what will we do, Severus."

"I don't know, headmaster. I don't know a thing."

---x---x----