Black Roses

A Web of Magic

Although my eyes were drooping with exhaustion, I watched the two witches and the wizard to see what they were doing. Europa spoke to them for a few minutes, and then they set to work.

Anthony pulled out a strange device from under his robes that had to be muggle-made. He placed it on the ground with great care, and then began to attach an antenna he also managed to produce from under his faded robes.

With focus and concentration that I barely recognised in him, Anthony fiddled with the antenna, and then, satisfied, flicked a switch on the device.

A crackling sound interspersed with whistles and pops started up, but, as Anthony fiddled with the antenna, I began to pick out snatched of conversation.

'A bit of light rain in... She approaches the goal aaaand... Although they grow better when planted in direct...'

At last, Anthony stopped fiddling and stepped aside from the device with a showmanlike flourish. It was picking up a police radio station.

'A theft has been reported in sector 12, restrained by a civilian but still not under arrest. Those carrying out surveillance in sector 4, be on high alert, as there have been rumours of another...'

The device trailed off into crackling again, and Anthony set to work adjusting it.

I turned my gaze on Europa and Gwendolyn. They each had their wands out, rosewood and holly respectively, and each were muttering incantations. I was surprised that the powerful witches weren't using nonverbal spells, and I voiced my thoughts to Theodore, who was seated beside me.

"Well, it's no easy spell they're trying to cast," he said, following my gaze. "Nonverbal is hard to master even on basic spells, let alone this one."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "So you mean that this is all one huge spell?"

"Sort of. You see, magic is an intricate thing. It can be broken down into the most simple of parts, but when you interconnect all these parts, you get more powerful spells. They are separate charms and separate incantations, but they can be built up into a web, if you will."

"Oh." I supposed it made sense, but it was hard to imagine spells as being any more than just that: spells.

Once they were finished, Europa and Gwendolyn sat down on the dry grass, propping their wands neatly up against eachother so they formed a triangle, the tips pointing away. Both witches looked tired from the complex routine, but didn't close their eyes. Both were staring resolutely at the wands.

I heard a snore from my left, and I turned to see Titan propped up against a tree, his mouth gaping open. Io was curled up in a pile of leaves, her eyes closed but her fingers fiddling with a leaf, shredding it anxiously.

Soon enough, I was dozing off too, drifting away into a hard-earned slumber.

"Baby!" the woman's shrill voice cried.

I looked up at her, face streaked with tears. I was seven years old, and emaciated from lack of nourishment. My hair was matted and unkempt, the concept of brushing it never having crossed my mind.

The woman carried on taunting me, her shrill laughter echoing in my ears. I wished with all my might that I had my wand in my hand, but no - she had it firmly tucked into her robes.

"Oh, Morwenna," she drawled. "Didn't you know that big girls don't cry?" She laughed again, a malicious laugh that made me weep even harder.

She continued to laugh, then stopped abruptly. I peered up at her through blurry eyes.

Her hair, as dark as mine, only shining rather than dull, and soft rather than greasy, framed her pale face, matching her cruel, dark eyes. Her towering figure was intimidating, and her long, bony fingers tipped with sharp, clawlike nails.

She was glaring at me with such hatred that I started crying again.

"SHUT UP!" she screamed, launching herself onto me. Her long nails tore at my skin, and my frail body was no match for her strength, but I struggled anyway.

Somehow, I managed to grab my wand, and jabbed her with it, causing her to leap back with a yelp. I scrambled to my feet, leaning on the wall for support.

We remained like that for a few minutes, staring at eachother, when she started to laugh again.

"Foolish girl," she hissed. "We both know you don't have the guts to use that, you snivelling baby!"

And, with that, she left, her laughter still haunting me.

I dropped the wand and sank to the ground in despair. She was right. I was never going to use it.

At last, I took up my wand and rose to my feet. I walked upstairs and went to my small room. There, I decided on three resolutions.

One: never, ever, let my wand leave my side ever again.

Two: wash my hair, clean my face, and do everything I could to defy her.

And three: never cry.

I gritted my teeth and held my head up high as I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

"Wake up!" a voice hissed in my ear.

For a moment, I thought it was her, and started to struggle, but then the urgent face of Theodore came into focus.

"We need to go," he said, pulling me roughly to my feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the other aurors vanishing in flashes of blue.

Then, Theodore took my arm and pulled me away with them.