Arc Two: Delusional Reverie
Chapter Eight: Calamity
"Now, where shall we start? From the beginning would be most suitable, don't you agree?" Ruberion asked, staring down at my feeble state. There was nothing I could do but crumble and listen.
He folded his arms with pride and began to circle me. Every word he spoke desired to wound like knives.
"We shall begin at my time at Hogwarts; the place that you so pointlessly cherish. Fifty years ago, I wandered the same halls that you did. It is a shame how little progress has been made since then." He tutted. "In my first year, I was sorted into Gryffindor. I had a knack for magic, you see. It all came naturally to me. By my third year, I felt ready to take my OWLs, but that pathetic headmaster of yours said it was too premature. So what did I do with all this free time I had while my classmates were bumbling around like fools?"
"I studied the Dark Arts. At first, it was a few mere jinxes and the occasional hex if I could get away with it... I also took an interest in some potions that I'm sure your dear Severus would faint should he see them." He chuckled at the thought.
"I grew to be, what I consider, a master in the field and I had barely reached the age of sixteen! Yes... it was all perfect but there was so much more to be done. I came across a type of magic that fascinated me more than anything else: the Imperius Curse. You obviously know of it having worked at the Ministry."
The Imperius Curse, one of the three forbidden curses, was perhaps the most dastardly of them all. When used on a subject, they fall completely under your control and will do whatever it is you command of them. It was one of the defences that many Death Eaters used to avoid imprisonment and was exceptionally hard to detect if one was under its influence. The strangest thing was that the curse allowed for the subject to perform tasks with the dexterity or knowledge far out of their reach.
"Then you would know that, unlike the Killing Curse and Cruciatus Curse, the Imperius Curse can be resisted. I wanted to delve into a way to create an improved version that had no resistance to it. A flawless form. During my sixth year, I placed many students under my influence and although the average wizard cannot resist the Imperius Curse, I knew that something was missing. It was in my seventh year that I realised what the missing piece of the puzzle was."
He got to his knees behind me and wrapped his arms around me. Gently, he nuzzled my neck. I was too shocked to move him away. No, something was immobilising me. My body felt so heavy and weak.
"When are people most vulnerable and suggestible? In their dreams. I needed someone to test my theory and I found the perfect person: a girl who had been hopelessly in love with me since our first year together. She was so pathetic that she agreed immediately when I asked her to Hogsmeade. We took a room together and I placed her under the Imperius Curse and commanded her to sleep. As she slept, I tinkered with her mind. When she awoke, she was a completely different person. It was as if her soul had been erased from her body and replaced with the will to serve me."
How awful... Is this what he is doing to me?
"I continued to experiment until I mastered my craft. I created a new type of Imperius Curse that had no flaws. Occlumency was pointless from the start, my dear." he mocked. "At that point, I had no use for the girl so there was only one way to dispose of her and dispose of her I did."
I felt just enough power in my lungs to get out a question: "But why did you make her mark your initials on her palms?"
"Is it not obvious yet? You are denser than I expected. I wanted to get caught. The chance to practice on Dementors was a prize I had to seize. I sat in that cell learning the ways to bend a person's will with words alone before capturing the last pieces of their autonomy. Despite what most wizards believe, Dementors can be reasoned with under the correct conditions... If they let me go free, I would offer them an eternal feast of souls to devour. I consider it one of my greatest achievements."
"Now, where to next? I suppose I should tell you about the Hound of Dreams now, should I not?"
I barely managed to nod. Now I would finally come to understand why he had killed five innocent children...
"I now had my foundations for my revenge. I wanted to erase that senile Dumbledore and I needed a way to unleash Calamity. My soul was certainly not one with clarity. I staked myself in that cave in the Forbidden Forest and conjured the Hound of Dreams to do my bidding. He would invade the dreams of those at Hogwarts to see those who were in need. They had to be in need for the soul to be pure. Those with ambitions would not work. I believe the Hound thought that I was trying to right the wrongs in their lives... but it was mistaken."
"After months of nothing and my body growing older, I decided I needed to take a more... personal approach. Have you wondered why you have never seen me outside of this void?" He stood up and gestured to our surroundings. "Because there is no more physical being of Ruberion Hollander! My body is gone! I implanted my consciousness into the Hound and let it do the boring work of seeking test subjects. There, I fine-tuned myself to appear as I do to you now. I no longer have the body of a frail decaying seventy-year-old. I'm in my prime; just look at my hair! The Hound would lure them to the cave and I would judge if they were worthy..."
He sighed deeply and rubbed his temple. "But the damn beast only brought me depressed children! Ms I Need To Pass My Exams, Mr I'm Not Popular Anymore, Ms I'm So Lonely, Mr My Life Sucks! They were so annoying and useless for what I needed! The easiest thing to do was to command the Hound to murder them all."
"You... monster..."
"What was that? Did you just try to speak? I would not recommend doing that while I am monologuing. It breaks the narrative flow! Where was I? Ah!"
"I am not afraid to know when I am wrong. I had hoped that the fifth would be the one. She was so similar to the maid in the story that I was certain but her ulterior motives corrupted her. After Ms Unrequited Love proved useless, I grew so bored. I decided that just this one time, I would be the one to choose and it was there that I found you. I made the Hound do his business but you were different. You resisted. You were loved."
He gripped my cheeks tightly. "You had the power that I needed. Even now, I can see the purity in your eyes. Disgusting." He let go with force. I was barely able to stay upright.
"I decided to transfer my consciousness from the Hound into you. Ever since the moment you, and by that I mean me, accepted the Hound's offer, I was there. Listening. Watching. Feeling. If the Hound killed you, I would take over your body and lure others. If it failed, you know the story. I was present through everything you did until today. I do not know what you see in that man. I mean, just look at his hair! It's so slimy..." He wrapped his arms around his body and shivered dramatically.
"Personal feelings aside, I brought you to the Hound's lair and intended to kill you and inhabit your body but... you know that story. So what was my next course of action now you destroyed my pet and I was now weak in a foreign territory? I waited. Waited until I had regained enough power to communicate to you. You were so easy to manipulate in the early stages. Why, you don't even remember the very helpful deed you did for me, do you? Ever wonder how you got that gash on your arm?"
By now, the wound had almost fully healed but there was still a mark remaining from the initial blow. He is correct, I never did figure out how I got it. The most peculiar part of it was that I couldn't recall having it before I woke up that day, meaning it must have happened in my sleep.
"The reason you felt so restless all those nights was because I was talking to you and commanding you. You were entirely unaware of me and that made you all the easier to be my puppet. It was during this stage that you betrayed Hogwarts without even knowing..."
He began to laugh once more. He was so proud of the plan he had executed.
"You stole the Sword of Godric Gryffindor! You! Who would have guessed? The beloved professor born renewed from her agonising days from the Ministry had become the traitor!"
"You lie!" I spluttered pathetically.
"I do not. Cassandra, I am many things, but a liar is not one of them. Manipulation through lies is always such a petty tactic. I prefer to deceive; not lie. If you believe what I say at face value then that is your fault for not choosing to seek the undertones of my words. You were the one who went to Dumbledore's office and stole the sword and you hid it. That is where you got that wound. The place you felt calling to you is where you stored it."
"Ahh..." he sighed. "Your face is priceless. I had a feeling this would be worth it. I assume next you wish to learn about why I did everything I did to you, no? That is very simple. It was much easier to consume you if you gave yourself to me willingly. I analysed your memories to see what you desired and created idyllic scenarios with them. The ball made you so happy that I thought it alone would have convinced you but alas. The Quidditch game was what made you begin to doubt if I could be so cruel as they say. Unfortunately, you were wrong. I am just that."
"And then today... My magnum opus. That was your real mother, my dear. There was one memory of her that I was able to find... shortly after your birth as she held you in her arms. Her breathing was laboured; exhausted from having you. She held you so tight but she could not keep her eyes open. How sad!" He covered his face with his hands and began to give a fake sob. "But that one did not work either because we just had to be interrupted. I should have snapped all of your memories from the get-go. How foolish of me to be compassionate."
"Whatever, nothing of this matters anymore. You are entirely under my control. Well, you shall be in about ten seconds. Your soul must remain. Killing you would make it disappear and they know of me... Taking your consciousness that way achieves nothing. I was wrong about that when you were at the Hound's lair. Annoyingly, it means I need you to still be here... but don't you worry your pretty little head. You will have a front-row chair to see everyone you love perish!"
I began to feel weaker than I ever felt before. There was a force entering me and pushing away the hold I had on reality. Everything felt so numb.
"Yes... that's it. Just enough for only a fragment of your soul to remain. That will be enough for the Calamity. Now... it is time. Goodbye, darling. I never was quite fond of you."
Ruberion's form vanished into thin air. Instead, in front of me appeared a vision of my room as if I were seeing through my own eyes but not in my head. It was what Ruberion was seeing with my body.
*****
Third-Person Point of View
Ruberion, now possessing the body of Cassandra, woke up. He slowly stretched out his arms and wiggled his fingers. It had been such a long time since he was last truly corporeal that it felt unnatural now. There was one thing he had to do and that was to find the Sword of Gryffindor and use it to unleash Calamity. Then, Dumbledore and Hogwarts will all suffer for the wrongs they committed against him. Despite his typical mature front, a small portion of him felt giddy with anticipation. A lot could go wrong but Ruberion Hollander never fails.
Snape continued to sleep without a clue of what had occurred. He had to stay asleep lest he is the pest that comes to ruin everything once more. The two potions that Snape had prepared for Cassandra sat untouched on the bedside table gleaming a faint silver in the moonlight. The only problem was that Ruberion could not recall which of the bottles contained the sleeping draught and which contained the Draught of Peace.
He could take a sniff to see if he could identify the properties of each potion but there was a chance that the sleeping draught could knock him out. The bottles were also opaque so it was impossible to see what colour or consistency each bottle was. He needed Snape to stay asleep so it was purely a game of chance but knowing his luck, Ruberion would pick the correct one.
Choosing the bottle on the right, he looked over Snape's sleeping form. Disgust filled Ruberion as he recalled the horrors of having to witness Cassandra kissing him from a first-person perspective. Really, Ruberion could grab Cassandra's wand and use the Killing Curse, or any immobilising hex, but that would ruin the stakes. He would die either way so why not play a little game? Gradually, Ruberion pressed the bottle to Snape's lips and poured it into his mouth. He did not stir and his sleep became seemingly deeper.
As Ruberion committed these acts, Cassandra could only watch on in despair. She tried everything she possibly could to resist and claim dominance over her body once more but her efforts were for nothing. Hardly any of her soul still existed. It was hopeless.
*****
The next part of execution would be to make it to the stairwell where the sword was kept. Using Cassandra's wand, he cast "Lumos" to create a faint light so he could see more than just an arm's length. The layout of Hogwarts had scarcely changed since Ruberion was a student. The corridors still felt the same as back then, minus some different portraits, odd stains on carpets and the walls, and the occasional new piece of armour. If Ruberion knew he wasn't the most dangerous person in the castle, perhaps he would have felt intimidated by what could be lurking in the darkness.
As he walked along, he began to see the small brightness of a flame pierce the darkness in front of him. Unfrightened, he strode towards the source. It was the small Flitwick holding a lantern as he patrolled the corridors at night.
"Cassandra? What are you doing up at this time of night?" he asked in his usual good spirit.
"Nothing that matters to you." Ruberion spat and went to move past him. Flitwick too moved to block him.
"I beg your pardon? What has gotten into you, my girl?"
Ruberion left out an exhausted huff, half forgetting he was in a body not his own. "You're boring me now." In a flash, Ruberion whipped out his wand and pointed it directly at Flitwick. "Crucio!"
Flitwick fell to the floor with a thud as his body began to convulse rapidly in agony. The screams he let out echoed down the corridor but they were too far away for anyone to hear them. Snape was under the influence of the sleeping draught and wouldn't know anything that was occurring.
Ruberion watched on with a devil's smile on his face. Cassandra screamed and begged for him to stop torturing Flitwick but he ignored her pleas. After a few minutes of tormenting the professor to the point of almost passing out, Ruberion dissolved the curse and continued on his path after extinguishing the lantern Flitwick had brought with him. As he advanced his path, he could hear the heavy breathing of Flitwick grow gradually fainter with every step.
*****
"It should be here..." Ruberion muttered to himself as he descended the staircase that led towards the blank wall Cassandra had been drawn to previously. Though he wouldn't admit it, his heart was accelerating the closer he got to achieving his goal. At this point, Cassandra no longer had the energy to fight back. There was barely a Cassandra left at all- only enough to satisfy Calamity.
Ruberion placed his hand against the stone wall and it gradually began to fade away to reveal a rocky cave that went down below the foundations of the castle. At the very end was where Cassandra had hidden the Sword of Gryffindor after she had stolen it from Dumbledore's office. It was unbelievable that such locations could be hidden all this time but there were rumours of many undiscovered places, such as the Chamber of Secrets.
The cave was filled with jagged rocks that struck out from the walls threatening to cut deeply into any unlucky person to get too close. That would seem to be what happened to Cassandra as she brought the sword here. On one of the rocks was the frayed clothing remains from her sleeves and the rocky below had small dried droplets of blood.
At the very end of the cavern sat a tomb-like casket made of a mixture of stones and other metals that gave it a shimmering shine. He used Cassandra's wand to light the braziers on the wall, giving the area a light orange gleam and returned it inside his pockets. Women's clothes simply do not have the pocket space as men's robes do. How did she survive day to day with nowhere to put her things?
More petty complaints about Cassandra's body swept through his mind as he placed his hands on the casket and slowly began to lift its lid. It made a creaking noise that reverberated off the walls and bits of rubble fell down into the inside. The sword sat in at the very bottom as if it was supposed to be there all along. Ruberion's hands began to shake slightly as he held the sword in his hands.
"Finally... it's mine..." he said under a hushed tone. He could hardly keep his laughter back. There was only one more thing to do: unleash Calamity.
Fletcher was correct on one thing: the Calamity was not a place or an item. It was a system, an offering, an emotion, a desire. Should one desire to commit the ultimate sin of betrayal, Calamity shall appear for those who seek it. All it required to be summoned was the token, the soul and the traitor. He could unleash Calamity right here but no, this wasn't symbolic. It was too mediocre for his tastes. He wanted to see the life run thin from the eyes of his foes. After all, this was so easy that why shouldn't he risk it for more fun?
There was nobody in wait to stop him. Snape was drugged, Flitwick was immobilised, and all of Hogwarts was fast asleep. They were his unsuspecting prey. Sword in hand, he marched to the one location with the most meaning to them all: the Great Hall.
*****
Ruberion kicked down the doors of the Great Hall and strode up to Dumbledore's podium as if he owned the place. The enchanted ceiling had almost entirely clouded over with the gigantic windows giving the only source of light.
Silence. Not a single soul dared to contest him.
"Home sweet home..." he reminisced as he stroked the wooden frame of the podium beneath his fingertips. How items felt had become a distant memory to him. In truth, all these new experiences made him feel oddly infantile. "Oh Calamity, my dearest, I do believe I seek your assistance in a matter most important." he hummed sadistically.
Small golden sparkles began to emerge in front of him. Through them, a tall woman dressed in yellow draped robes that trailed to the floor appeared. She carried a set of scales and her eyes were blindfolded. Her long black hair fell down her back like a waterfall and followed her with every step she took. Ruberion stepped back in surprise. This was the true Calamity all along. Not a cave, nor a binding, but a ceremony of kinds.
"You who seeks betrayal through Calamity," she spoke with high authority, perfectly pronouncing every syllable. "For what is your darkest wish?"
"I want to make them all suffer. I want them dead, you understand me?!" he squirmed with excitement. He could barely stop his grip from slipping on the sword.
"What does the doomsayer offer as a token?" she responded. She sounded entirely indifferent to anything he was saying.
"I bring you the Sword of Gryffindor. They have all been distraught since it was stolen. Clearly, it is the best possible choice." Ruberion held the sword out haughtily. The women held it and inspected it thoroughly. A small grin appeared on her lips in acceptance.
"A worthy symbol. Now, by whom do you offer a soul of clarity?"
"I offer the soul of Cassandra Juniper. Although suppressed, it is still there for your taking." he replied with his heart almost breaking from his chest in anticipation.
The woman paused and remained silent until she came to speak once more.
"The soul of Cassandra Juniper is tainted. It contains despair that has not been remedied. I shall not accept it."
Shock shot through Ruberion. How could this be? What hatred could she bear that would corrupt her soul? Her father? Mildly beginning to panic as the woman stared him down, he prodded Cassandra's memories for any other eligible person. Suddenly, he realised a solution. It was not a person but an elf.
"Utsy will always have time for Miss Juniper. If there is anything she needs, she may only have to call for Utsy."
Ruberion coughed to clear his throat as he prepared to mimic his best Cassandra voice. It was somewhat embarrassing but this was the difference between life or death, and death was the one he wanted.
"Utsy? Utsy, I need you." he squeaked femininely. The voice certainly would not have fooled any of Cassandra's colleagues or friends but for when the elf could not fully tell otherwise before apparating, it was enough.
There was a loud pop and the small elf appeared on top of one of the tables. Utsy stood there unbeknownst to her the ruse she had just fallen for.
"Utsy is here, Miss Juniper. What does Miss Juniper need so late at night?" she asked worriedly. Her wary eyes took note of the woman which caused her small hands to tremble nervously.
"Is this one suitable?" he asked impatiently.
The woman gazed over Utsy fondly. "Yes, I believe she will be acceptable. Retrieve your token and Calamity shall be yours." She held the sword out for him to take.
"You are not Miss Juniper!" Utsy yelled as she realised that that was not Cassandra's demeanour. She snapped her fingers and the sword flew from the woman's hands over to her. The sword coming to a halt almost threw her off-balance but she stood strong. "Utsy will not allow the impostor to take the sword!"
"You damn elf! Give that here!" Ruberion yelled in a rage as he lunged for her. The woman wandered over to the opposite side of the Great Hall to watch the events unfold.
Utsy ran desperately from table to table trying to avoid him. Her small legs could barely jump over the gaps and the sword made it even harder. Just when she thought she had the upper hand, her foot slipped and she sprawled as she dropped the sword.
The doors to the Great Hall suddenly swung open.
"Cease this behaviour at once, Hollander." Dumbledore's voice rang out through the hall.
Behind him stood tall McGonagall. Wand at the ready, she was prepared to fight. To her side occupied Snape who looked rejuvenated and was willing to do everything he could to protect the woman he held dear. Ruberion realised he must have chosen the wrong potion but this did not phase him. The most surprising of them all, behind all three, was the mildly trembling Trelawney here to do what she could for her only friend.
"Look at what we have here then! The mercenaries have arrived at last! Should I have brought my trumpet so I can bring you to battle?" he mocked with his arms opened wide.
"W-What have you done to Cassandra!?" Trelawney cried out with her glasses magnifying the terror in her eyes tenfold.
Ruberion cockily flicked his wand between his fingers. "The Oh Great Seer cannot tell? Has your Inner Eye gone cloudy?"
She flinched backwards at the comment but McGonagall gave her a look to dismiss it.
Through the commotion, Utsy began to try to reach for the sword once more. Her small fingers were barely out of reach.
Snape stepped forward with his wand prepared to cast any curse he needed to win back Cassandra. "If you had any wit about you, you would leave her body immediately."
"And why would I do that, Severus? She is so much fun to be in. Just look at these scars!" He held his hands up in full display. "I wonder what it would look like with even more?"
Had it not been for the Draught of Peace, Severus may have been in enough rage to fire a spell but the potion kept him calm, for now. It was too dangerous to act with Cassandra's body at risk.
"We are prepared to do whatever it costs to protect Hogwarts, Hollander. You ought to be aware of that." McGonagall warned.
"Ah, McGonagall, you always were my least favourite. Dumbledore's pet, as it were. A pet is as bad as its owner if not managed properly." he sneered in response. "Now, where was I? Ah, how clever of you to be distracting me."
Utsy grabbed the hilt of the sword and jumped into the middle of the fray. She began to run towards Dumbledore without realising what she had positioned herself perfectly for.
"No!" Trelawney screamed as she caught wind of it.
"Avada Kedavra!" Ruberion conjured as he pointed directly at Utsy.
"Expelliarmus!" Snape tried to disarm Ruberion before he could finish the incantation but he was too late.
From Cassandra's wand erupted a blinding green jet of light that shot directly towards the elf. Utsy barely had enough time to turn around before she was directly hit. There was a small shockwave from the impact and then an almost inaudible thud. Snape's spell made an impact and Ruberion lost control of Cassandra's wand as it flew behind him out of sight.
..........
"You..." a voice sounded out through Ruberion's mind. It sounded furious beyond belief. "What have you done?"
Cassandra slowly stood up and began to stumble toward the vision displaying Ruberion's sight.
"Cassandra, be a dear and sit back down now, there's a good girl." Ruberion spoke back to her, dismissing what she was doing.
"You... killed her. You... I... You must pay." Her voice became increasingly filled with uncontrollable rage.
Her arm outstretched and her fingers came into contact with the vision. It felt like panelled glass. Tightly, she pressed against the vision.
"Stop that right now." Ruberion barked now beginning to sound concerned for the first time.
"Why stop...? You did not." Small cracks began to form on the vision.
Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Trelawney could only see Ruberion talking distressed to himself. They began to press forward, slowly closing the gap between them and Trelawney grabbed ahold of the sword.
"STOP!" Ruberion screamed, pressing his hands against his head. Agony flowed freely with every chip and fracture that Cassandra made.
"I will be yours no longer." With her free hand, she rose it high and collided it with the vision. The screen shattered into billions of pieces and her world faded to black...