It's a kind of magic

Part 8.

Dumbledore nodded with a gentle smile on his face, and walked to an old, black cupboard. He opened the door, and Ben noticed the sorting hat on a burgundy pillow. The professor held the hat and turned to the Slytherin boy.
-Are you sure you're willing to take the risk? There's no way back, Benjamin.
-I'm not as softy, as you think. -responded Ben proudly. Of course, he was afraid deep inside, but his pride was way louder, than his brain. Just like the heart, when we are madly in love.
-Well, okay then... let's start. -continued Dumbledore. He stepped towards the boy, and as soon as their eyes met, he nodded and put the hat on Ben's blonde locks.
Ben grabbed the chair's armrest nervously. His forehead was sparkling because of the sweat, his heart rate was high, and his knees were slightly shaking. The sorting hat felt incredibly heavy, like it was made from stone. Ben compressed his lips and closed his eyes, hoping it would help him to breathe normally.
-Benjamin Jones, what a pleasure! I've always known, that we'd meet again! -laughed a deep voice from the hat.
-End of clownery, just say Slytherin, and we won't have business anymore! -whispered Ben anxiously.
-I wouldn't say that, if something evil followed me and threatened everyone I share the same blood with...
-What???
-You are no longer safe in Slytherin, and you don't even belong there. And I'm sure, you know this as well...
-I'm perfectly okay there! No one can harm me anyway!
-I put you in Gryffindor... and if you keep calm, I'll even show you, why...
-I... I don't belong there, I will never go there, I'm-
-Just be quiet and breathe slowly... it's much more serious, than you think... -said the sorting hat.
Ben already opened his mouth to fight back, but he suddenly felt like an invisible weight on his head, shoulders and chest is getting way heavier. He felt like someone grabbed his ankles tight and started pulling him down to a non-existent hole. He got scared, opened his eyes, wanted to shout at Dumbledore to make it stop, but he wasn't in his office anymore, but in a strange place, where he was surrounded only by the complete darkness. It was windy, and freezing cold. After 10-15 seconds the darkness started slowly fading away and the temperature got also higher. Ben slowly recognized his home on a warm summer day. It was like a movie, but he felt the summer breeze on his skin, which was disrupted only by the slight wind, as it twirled the dust on the street. Ben noticed his sister, Sarah, next to their house, sitting in a car with a guy. He came closer to them, but they didn't notice him, even if he stood in front of them. He felt like he was a ghost.

-Thank you for this awesome day, Jonathan! -smiled Sarah, as she kissed the boy on the cheek. They had their first date that afternoon, had a delicious Italian lunch in the downtown, and then watched an action movie together in the local cinema. So many people say, it's not the best place for a date, but Sarah didn't feel like that: after the first scenes they ended up cuddling tight, and feeding each other with popcorn. After all, Jonathan offered her to take her home by his old car.
-It was a pleasure to spend this day with a goddess like you! -winked at her the hottie. The girl started blushing, and looked down on her knees.
-Thank you, I really appreciate it!
-When will I see you again?
-What about... after tomorrow? You know, I'll have exam day after tomorrow, and I need to learn a lot for that. Finals, you know. But it will be Friday anyway, so we can stay outside a bit longer! -continued Sarah, while she was adjusting her hair with a shy smile on her face.
-Great idea. You know, you're my priority.
-Awww, you're making my heart melt!
-Hopefully, it's not only your heart, that will melt after a while... -smirked Jonathan. Sarah started laughing and slapped his arm gently.
-You dirty pig, you!
-It's all your fault, darling! Take care babygirl, see you after tomorrow!
-See you, take care! -smiled Sarah. She closed the car door, and headed to their house. She felt like she had butterflies in her stomach. Like she wouldn't even walk on the ground, but float in the middle of a pink fog. As soon as she reached their door, she was looking for the keys in her bag, but in the next moment she noticed something strange. There were 2 birds laying on their doormat. Both of them were dead, with a broken neck. It must have happened a while ago, because the blood was still dipping from their beak. Around the birds there were dozens of bees and flies laying lifelessly on the ground. 5 meters away another dead bird lied in the grass, also with a broken neck.
-What the hell is that... -whispered Sarah, with a high tone, that was filled with fear. She wanted to pull down the door handle, but as soon as she touched it, she stepped back. It was covered with ice cold water, while the weather was dry and sunny outside. But only the handle was wet, the other parts of the door were as dry as the desert. And even if the Sun was shining, the water didn't stop dripping, like the handle was made from ice. Sarah's heart got heavier, because of the panic. She opened the door slowly, and entered the house. It had a frightening atmosphere, that kind of started choking her. The whole house smelled like rotten meat and burning coal. She felt pressure on her chest.
-Dad? -she shouted. Her dad was supposed to be at home, but no one responded. Sarah definitely felt on her own skin, that someone is in the house. Someone, who shouldn't be there. The ground and the kitchen table were covered with another dead bugs. The flowers in the window and another plants all over the house were withered. What the hell is happening???
As she stepped forward, the lamp above her head started buzzing. The radio on the fridge switched on.
-Are you ready to have some fun, Sarah? -sounded a strange, evil voice from the radio, while some 50s kind of music was played in the background. Sarah screamed and started fumbling in her bag, looking for her magic wand. She knew well, it was forbidden to use it outside of Hogwarts, but Ben told her years ago to keep it with her all the time. Yeah, Ben was a shameless heartbreaker, but his siblings were the most important to him. His brother was like his twin: it was enough to look at each other, and they immediately knew what's in the mind of the other boy. And Sarah was like a tiny, fragile flower to him, and Ben knew no boundaries, when it was about protecting and taking care of her.
-Ben... Ben please help me... -sniffled Sarah, while she was holding her magic wand to her chest. She was in panic. Tears were running down on her face, she was shaking because of the fear. Of course, Ben was there, but he still seemed invisible. He couldn't help her, he couldn't talk to her, and it was killing him inside. He couldn't do anything.
Suddenly a dark shadow passed by, right behind Sarah's back, leaving a freezing could touch on her skin. It was so cold, that even her bones started aching. It was a touch of death. She started crying even more histerically.
-I see you Sarah, and you will go nowhere... -sounded again from the radio, and the mysterious stranger finished the sentence with an evil laughter.
-Who are you? Leave me alone! -she shouted, and then ran to the entrance door, trying to escape, but it was locked.
-NOOO... Nooo... fuck you! -Sarah kicked the door and ran to her room. She locked herself in, and pointed at the door with her magic wand, while walked backwards. She was wheezing, and couldn't stop crying. She knew something will happen, and she had mortal fear. It was the first time her brother wasn't by her side to protect her.
-You won't get out of here, Sarah. Have you seen the birds around the house? You will end up like them. So will your brothers. I bet you're prettier, when your lips are coloured by your blood... -laughed the mysterious stranger from the radio.
Sarah took a deep breath, opened the door as fast as she could, pointed her wand towards the radio and shouted:
-Bombarda maxima!
The radio exploded into thousands of tiny pieces. There was silence in the house again. She ran back to her room and locked herself in again.
-Ben please help me... - she whispered, and started crying again. In the next moment every framed photo on the wall fell down to the ground. The sound of the breaking glass made her shiver. The temperature was getting incredibly low, until she could see her own breath. The smell of rotten meat and burning coal became stronger. She heard footsteps from the living room, getting closer and closer to her room.
-What do you want from me...? -whispered Sarah, holding her magic wand tighter. She felt like something is at her feet... she looked down and started screaming. Right under the door blood started flowing into the room. It looked like she was in a horror movie. If it was only a movie...
She ran to her cupboard, trying to cast a spell, but her wand got broken.
-NOOO... please no... please don't hurt me... -cried Sarah hopelessly. The puddle of blood in the room was getting bigger. The lamp above her head started buzzing. The television in the corner switched itself on and off. The door of the cupboard started creaking behind her, as someone opened it slowly. She started sobbing even harder, her whole body was shaking because of the fear. She knew, someone is behind her...
Sarah felt a warm breath on her shoulder.
-I told you how you're gonna end up... -said the voice, that's been heard in the radio before as well. She wanted to turn around and see, who's there, but in the next moment the entity grabbed her waist. She started screaming as she felt severe pain in her stomach. She started bleeding there heavily. The stranger's hand was at least four times bigger, than the average size, with a black skin and silver claws, that's been stabbing into her skin. It wasn't a human, but something demonic.
-Help...! -screamed Sarah, but she couldn't say more, because she got the next stab in the throat. The entity pulled her backwards, until they disappeared in the cupboard. The door of the old furnuture slowly and creakingly shut down after them.
The next thing was the deadly silence. The birds were chirping outside, the television turned itself on, and the weather forecast was visible on the screen. The friendly voice of the meteorologist filled the empty house. The awful smell disappeared, like not a single soul would have ever been there.
Only the dead bugs, birds and the lot of blood were the signs of the massacre...