status: unedited
"where i go you may not make it through the night, only those who aren't afraid to lose it all are the ones who make it out alive"
haunted — shawn james
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cursed be the muggles and everything they produce, Lucretia Tonks' grandmother used to say every time a fighter plane passed over the small and picturesque village of West Lothhart. Then panic would spread, and the wounds that had been left by previous attacks on the poor villagers would not be fully healed to withstand yet another incident.
Cursed be the darkness and the wizards who amplify it even further. The woman had no particular sympathy for any form of human existence. She was very old, with gray hair and squinted, small and round eyes, resembling a tea saucer. She had already reached the centenary of her life, and for such an elderly woman to have experienced two world wars and a war among wizards was excessive. After all, she had lost her faith in humanity, and it seemed that nothing could replace this melancholic feeling.
In old age, humans regress and behave like children again, and all the fears and habits that dominated their childhood return as unwelcome visitors. It is natural for wizards, even with their mentality, to tend to revert to behaviors they grew accustomed to since they were young children because that is how their minds know how to operate— with the familiar and not the unknown.
Lucretia Tonks had grown accustomed to a life far from the poison of war. At least mentally, because there were numerous times when she would feel her stomach grumble from lack of food or her hands bleed, mixed with the sweat from hours of work in her uncle's fields during the summers. Her family and herself had to make do somehow, and even though the English countryside was not so fertile, it was enough to sustain them.
Her family lived in a small wizarding village near Oxford with a population of at least five hundred residents (there were more, but during the war, most of them lost their lives). Lucretia had spent half her childhood with her grandmother, as her parents worked as farmers and livestock breeders for most of the day. Her grandmother was very old, and now the only way she could be of any use was by raising her young granddaughter.
She had the girl to care for herself and the house on her own, teaching her that she need to be an independent woman, that would not need the guidance of others to survive; let alone when her grandmother would be buried six feet into the ground. And just like that, from a very young age, she learned household chores and thus became skilled at knitting, cooking, cleaning, and doing everything a grown woman would do. She did what her mother or grandmother would do, except they could not actively participate in family matters.
Did she like this life? Under different circumstances, she would not have loved something like this, but the ideal for a woman of that era was to be proficient in household matters and impeccable in everything.
Could she defy such a principle? Certainly not, and not if she truly wanted the best for her family either. So she learned to align herself with that principle as best she could.
Lucretia was a proud girl, maybe not with many talents, but she had the basics and the essentials. Boys from her village sought her hand, and boys from neighboring villages came to West Lothhart just to meet her and ask her for marriage. Even, some of them would pledge her with wealth that any girl would die for to have. However, she was always steadfast in her opinion, I will only marry out of true love. And if it never comes until the end of my life, then I will gladly embrace death, she had once told her family.
The reputation of an unacceptable yet prodigy redhead girl with onyx eyes from a province in Oxfordshire spread far and wide, and over time, even when she was at Hogwarts, the letters she received outnumbered those sent by her own family. It had become tiresome, and these men certainly had nothing better to do than to constantly bother a student several years younger than them.
You live in a utopia with those books of yours, her mother would say every time she caught her with a romantic novel in hand. She was a lover of literature and poetry, and it was her only way to find solace on days when she was not in charge at home. In other words, when she returned to her teenage self, she could behave like any other child her age. Those moments allowed her to break free from the demands and expectations of her environment and simply be a girl that is enjoying her adolescence.
Lucretia: What is love? 'Tis not hereafter: Present mirth hath present laughter.
Mother: Have mercy on me, you dreamy child.
And so her life went on. She had a critical family that, out of excessive love, sometimes acted blindly and manipulatively. She had to learn to navigate within it, whether in one way or another.
"It is like living the same nightmare of June," the girl from Hufflepuff sat at the table— her outer beauty is a composition of the most refined characteristics of human nature. Her long flowing hair cascades gently like those in a Botticelli painting, creating a canvas of dreamlike beauty. Her face radiates an angelic glow, with soft features reminiscent of the sculpted depictions of ancient gods. Lucretia Tonks was undoubtedly an outstanding woman.
Cassiopeia closed the door when Juan and Althea got inside and exhaled, while her head hit softly into the wood surface behind her. Her gracious sapphire eyes closed and she let her body slither down to the carpet as the exhaustion got the best of her. It was not so much the physical pain that made everything appear turbid to her, but rather that hidden feeling of fear that awakened, like Enceladus, and once again shook her troubled soul "As it seems history repeats itself,"
Juan scoffed with that enormous shade of irony plastered on his face and took off his robe with a quick unhandy movement, throwing it at the back of the sofa "I am sick and tired of these events. Petrified students and this bloody murkiness that looms over our heads. What else should happen to make them say they had enough we should stop," the boy soliloquized unable to stop walking up and down with such force.
The face of exasperation was not something that Juan Chang wore usually. His tone was stentorian and his onyx eyes blazed with ferociousness assorted with a glimpse of furiousness that not even his two dear female friends had ever seen him being attired with. The disquietude that he was emitting caused a bigger wave of confusion from what the atmosphere already had.
Most of the time the boy preserved his composure and even was trying to think with the logic reigning in his mind before opening his mouth. However, now was not the case— he could not maintain his wrath either think with prudence and docility. Juan Chang found Hogwarts as a new home, like every other student in the castle. His childhood was made by these thick walls and the radiant sense of magic obstacles that were flying freely into the atmosphere nutrient his obstreperous spirit.
Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft was more like a source of luminosity that most people needed in their lives to annihilate the obscurity that roams with such grace in this world. And now, someone wanted to shatter into million pieces the only lightbulb of hope that had been left, by attacking students and spreading the terror with such debauchery that almost made Juan vomit. How many times are left for them to stop?
"This boy," Althea started after a while. It was the first time that she faced the insanity of this mystery of petrified students and if she was completely honest she felt somehow unsafe. It was peculiar and almost unbelievable that a school that is being distinguished as the safest of them all, is being an entity of so many dangers "Is he dead?"
"It is not the first time," the ginger girl commented quickly shaking her head. Lucretia tried to sound like everyone should expect this as if she was trying to justify the indifference that Hogwarts had shown when all that was happening was students being petrified like statues. "Last year almost three students were found in this state. Empty eye sockets with no trace of emotion within them. The pulses were slow, and steady, although they gave you the impression that the victim was not even alive. Weird conditions,"
"He seems petrified. Very dangerous indeed. But it is not irredeemable. It will take time for him to be back to normal," Cassiopeia replied her ivory teeth peeling out the cuticles of her nails out of anxiety.
An awkward silence fell between them, and the only sound in the background was Juan's soles creaking as he paced like a madman, his thoughts weighing heavily on his skull. It was supposed that everything that had happened before was because of Hagrid's venomous spider that was roaming the corridors. Now that it had been killed and the student himself had been expelled from school, why were these attacks still happening?
"If you continue, I will hit you so hard in the office that even it will make a hole in your thick skull,"
"The culprit was never caught," Juan suddenly said, stopping in his tracks. "You were right, Althea. For Merlin's sake, the culprit was never truly caught."
The confirmation was not something Althea expected, and when she finally heard it from someone, she didn't know how to react. Her breath caught in her throat, and fear enveloped her like the summer breeze blankets the vine leaves. Of course, not with the same tenderness and warmth.
She was right about the murderer; indeed, Myrtle Warren had been left without redemption by fate, as Hagrid was wrongly blamed for his death. Now, she hoped that she was wrong about the person behind the one who caused it. No force in the world could measure how much Althea Lynch wished to see Tom Riddle dragged to the Ministry of Magic for this crime. With the thought of this sentiment, a smile spread across her lips, but at the same time, a sense of uncertainty lingered.
The boy may have been macabre, the epitome of a person with no healthy thoughts in his head, but if he truly was responsible for so much evil, it would go against nature itself. Although he was already her greatest enemy, she couldn't help but notice how truly intelligent he was. Tom Riddle knew everything and sought everything; his knowledge reached the heavens and may have even surpassed the imaginary boundary of the stratosphere. It was... a pity.
How could such an angelic face have done all those things? Everything about him was perfect, flawless as if he were a gilded ice sculpture, so well-preserved that you wondered if he was a real human or not. An Olympian god with eyes that resembled the sparkle of sapphires and the color of the grass that tickles your feet in the summer.
Oh my God, if she didn't know how despicable he was, Althea could have fallen madly in love with him, without any exaggeration. The idea made her nauseous. He and she were a paradoxical pair, and no one could bring them closer together. They say opposites attract, but they were not just opposites— they were so contrary in nature and behavior that they challenged the boundaries of the homonymous rule.
Everything about him disgusted her. The way he walked through the school corridors as if everything belonged to him as if they were all his subjects who had to bow down and kiss his shiny shoes. His condescending smile and pearly white teeth made Althea want to punch him until his jaw dropped. And even worse, the way he looked at her as if she was beneath him, as if he owned her and could humiliate her whenever he pleased.
"What are you talking about, Juan," Cassiopeia rose abruptly from the floor. "And you, Althea, what is this nonsense? There is no murderer among us. This is outrageous."
"Outrageous, yes. But not impossible. The probabilities are enormous. And there is only one way to find out the truth," Juan straightened his body and turned towards Althea's silhouette with eyes that the girl would swear were gleaming with madness.
"What is it, Juan?" Cassiopeia crossed her arms, looking at him like a mother about to scold her child.
Juan ignored her penetrating and stern gaze. "It is time for a little visit to Hagrid."
"What?" Lucretia stopped rubbing her swollen foot. "Are you going outside the castle? After everything that has happened?"Juan turned his head, and his gaze made Lucretia freeze in place. "You are crazy,"
"Thank you, it is not often I am told that," his gaze focused on the enchanting Greek girl in front of him, who was observing him with an expression he could not quite define. "So, Althea, what do you say? Ready for a new adventure?"
The two friends did not go straight to Hagrid's cabin. They waited for dusk to settle and the stars to appear, with Birdie being the first to emerge. This bright star and the moon were the first "planets" to appear in the night sky, illuminating it while they anticipated the arrival of other planets to fill the map of space. However, most of these "planets" do not exist as the speed of light travels to Earth very slowly. As a result, humans will be delayed in realizing that most of the constellations they currently see will be a thing of the past in millions of years.
When the veil of the night covered everything, Juan and Althea emerged outside in the courtyard, wrapped tightly in their cloaks and warm clothing. October was coming to an end, and the cold was becoming unbearable. Halloween was just five days away, and Dolce Bagshot had promised Althea Lynch that the experience of that day would remain etched in her memory forever. However, seeing the array of pumpkins of all sizes spread across the courtyard, combined with the events that had unfolded earlier, Althea doubted if anyone would have the mindset to focus on the celebration.
"I hope you know where we are going," Althea said, raising the lantern she held to get a better look at Juan Chang's features. Her heart fluttered strangely as their eyes met, and her cheeks flushed despite the cold around them.
"Of course, I know. Hagrid's cabin should be somewhere nearby," his voice was gentle, as he gently caressed Althea's cheeks, warming them up despite the chill. Juan's hair had grown longer since Althea last remembered. It cascaded loosely just above his shoulders, which is why he had tied it back with a rope.
"Thank you," the witch simply said.
"For what?"
Her voice came out hoarse, and the girl fidgeted beneath the cold. "You were the first person who didn't consider me crazy and listened to me. I deeply appreciate that."
Juan gave her a faint crooked smile. "I like theories, especially the ones that sound particularly crazy to be true. Everything is real and existent; as I told you, you just need the necessary evidence to support it even if it is a lie" the boy replied and continued walking. "You are Greek, you should know that better than me."
Althea laughed, "Just because I am Greek does not mean I should know how to argue and present evidence like the ancient Greeks did in court. Back in ancient Athens, they would hold trials because one person did not say 'good morning' to another. That is crazy!"
"Yes, you do have a peculiar mindset down there. Which region of Greece are you from?"
"I do not think you know any other region besides Athens," she said sarcastically. "But my mom was from Thessaly, which is a geographic region of Greece. Let's just say she was from a city nearby."
She visited Greece every year, and whenever someone asked her something about the country, she always enjoyed talking about her heritage and her homeland. She had not mentioned her brother yet, although she did not consider it necessary. Her eyes half-closed as they spotted Hagrid's small cottage on the horizon, just before the entrance to the Forbidden Forest.
"I think we have arrived,"
The grass beneath their feet made a crunching sound as if they were stepping on stalactites, and there was no sign of light coming from the cottage. The house appeared dilapidated, with cracks in the windows and walls. It was made of stone, adorned with moss and ivy, and surrounded by a small pumpkin patch. The two students headed towards the entrance of the cottage, exchanging uncertain glances.
Juan took the initiative and lightly knocked on the front door. No movement was heard behind the door, nor did any light turn on inside the house. It was not too late, and it was unlikely that the giant was asleep.
"Hagrid, it is Juan Chang from Gryffindor. Do you remember me? We need to talk," Juan called out, but there was no response from the other side.
He exchanged a glance with Althea and spoke again, "It is me and a girl. We just want to ask you something."
Still, there was no reply.
"Has he left?" Althea wondered aloud.
"And where would he go?" Juan raised his lantern to illuminate the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hagrid inside the cottage. But it appeared to be empty. "Keep nix," he muttered.
"What is wrong?"
"Stay outside, and if you see anyone approaching, let me know," Juan instructed her, and she looked at him curiously.
"And how are you going to get inside?"
A bewildered expression formed on Juan's face, and with his free hand, he pushed the door, which swung open wide with a loud creak. "What? Were you expecting it to be locked? I knocked just for courtesy's sake. I will look for a spider cage or whatever else. If I do not find anything, you know you are right, and we will find the murderer immediately," he blurted out in one breath, overwhelming Althea with the torrent of information. She wanted to curse Juan for leaving her alone outside, but she hoped that the boy would act quickly.
The cottage appeared small, so it would not take more than five minutes to search it thoroughly. Althea set down her lantern and sat on the steps in front of the cottage entrance, covering herself more with her cloak. Her hair was pulled back into a small bun, and her eyes shimmered as the cold brought tears to them.
In the distance of the road, she saw a figure approaching, also holding a lantern. She could not make out who it was because they were far away, and just a few minutes ago the dense fog decided to make its appearance, making things more difficult. The silhouette appeared masculine, a tall man, perhaps a student, as he was already wearing the Hogwarts school uniform.
Her blood froze as soon as she saw the figure more clearly. The cursed Tom Riddle was everywhere, and no matter how much she wanted to avoid him, he always found a way to approach her, testing her nerves to a humiliating extent.
She firmly grabbed her lantern and shook off the dust that had gathered on her cloak and skirt. Their gazes met and did not break until Tom Riddle appeared fully in front of her. He emerged from the shadows like a specter, his features illuminated by the light of the lantern, his face stern as he stood before the Greek witch.
"What do I see here," he began, taking the lead. "Lynch, have not they told you that spirits and demons saunter outside at this hour?"
"Are you talking about yourself?" she replied abruptly, with a condescending smile. She wished his lantern would burst into flames and consume him alive, but Althea held back her beastly thoughts.
"I am afraid that no. However, a girl like you should be safeguarding herself, with everything that had happened today, instead of wandering around aimlessly."
Was she that weak in his eyes? She wanted to remind him that she feared no one and that she had even brought him to his knees without much difficulty. "Why, Riddle?" she made a forward gesture, her eyes shimmering with self-centeredness and vanity. "If I were in danger, would you come to save me yourself?"
Her words spewed out of her mouth with more fiery intensity than she intended, and Riddle mentally condemned her for such behavior. Nevertheless, the dark wizard did not hesitate and took a step closer, his smile reminiscent of a serpent about to strike its prey. "Believe me, Lynch, I would give you to the demons for a handful of peanuts in return. Even for nothing at all."
It seemed like a challenge. For some strange reason, she wanted to hear him say more of these dreadful things, just to see his face transform with irritation. "Oh really? So, that is how much I am worthing to you?" Why did her voice, in his ears, touch the chords of his soul in a peculiar way?
"You are nothing. You have crossed my path solely because even God himself does not know what to do with your wretched soul," he retorted.
"And so, He sent you to me, Tom, to take my soul so pridefully?"
Tom.
The boy shuddered as he heard the witch utter his name. His soul quivered, and his jaw clenched as Althea observed him with an undeniably dangerous gaze. If the Black Lake were beside them, he would have thrown her in just to never hear her say his name again. "Say my name again, and I will show you what I will truly do with your soul."
His hand tightened around her wrist, and instead of telling him to let her go, a moan escaped her lips as the pain intensified at that spot. "What will you do to my soul, Tom?"
She was insane. Althea Lynch was deranged. Only a fool with wretched nobility would close his eyes to danger so easily and provoke him with such arrogance. His grip tightened even more and he blazed with insanity.
"I will slaughter you," he said through gritted teeth.
Her hand moved towards his throat, gently gripping his tie and pulling him closer to her, and he made no resistance. "You will not succeed unless I grasp the handle of my blade and stab your poisoned heart first, Riddle."
Their eyes engaged in a tango on charcoal, exchanging nothing but flames and ashes. The scent of sulfur was so strong that both of them could get intoxicated, leading them to perpetually dance— a dance of distinction and menace. The porticoes of hell did not burn as much as their fingers did upon their skin, yet they did not emit the same demonic glimmer.
"Althea, I found nothing," Juan emerged from the cabin, and as soon as he spotted the two of them, his smile faded. Tom's hand still clenched her wrist, and Juan's eyes were solely fixed on Althea's. "What is going on here?"
Juan approached menacingly, and Althea withdrew her hand from Tom's grip, which had loosened slightly. "Riddle simply..." She did not know what to say and looked at him with frustration. "He just sprouts where he's not sown."
"It is always the case nowadays, is not it?"
Tom addressed Althea, but his eyes were focused on Juan, concealing a hidden threat. "It is my job to oversee both the school and the courtyard for any deviant behavior," he tilted his head slightly to look at Althea. "What are you two doing out here after everything that has happened?"
Althea began to speak, but Juan interrupted her with his piercing gaze. "A romantic rendezvous and you just ruined it."
Tom's jaw clenched, and Althea widened her eyes in shock. "Outside the giant's cabin? And here I thought you were more romantic, Chang."
"Give me private lessons next time," Juan spoke sarcastically. The situation between them was uncomfortable, and Althea wished the ground would swallow her with everything that was happening. She would surely intervene in this ridiculous scene if Tom had not nudged her a little later, pointing towards the beginning of the forest. Something that both he and Juan noticed, causing their blood to freeze.
Althea turned her head and observed the female creature standing there, with predatory wings and long black hair. A creature that seemed to be made of the shadows of the forest—a creature she had only found in stories her mother had told her from her homeland.
"One of the Furies," Althea whispered.
"Who?"
"Ancient spirits of death— they control it. They are somewhat like the Fates, but they are responsible for darkness. Daughters of the Night. They exist even today, wandering the world," Althea explained.
Juan stood beside her, and the female figure continued to observe them, waiting for them to make a move.
"I know about these creatures. They appear when they want to show something, not to attack," Juan commented.
"Do it wants us to follow her?" Tom asked.
"It seems so," Althea replied.
The three of them took a step forward, heading toward the winged figure. She lifted her enormous wings and flew into the forest, leaving a trail of smoke and the leaves of the tall trees crushed in her wake.
"After her!"
Their feet caught fire as they followed the path the spirit made in the air, with Althea running ahead of the two boys without paying much attention to her surroundings. Her cloak got tangled in a bush with berries due to her haste, and she paused to untangle it. Tom helped her, murmuring a simple "Be careful" before they resumed running after the imposing spirit.
The deeper they went into the disillusioned forest, the denser the vegetation became, and the trees grew more massive. Their shoes were filled with mud, and the cold became nonexistent as their skin warmed up from running (though they would surely wake up with a cold the next day). The fog thickened in some areas while in others, it was less dense.
Althea noticed that the spirit was leading them to a bright spot ahead, which made her wonder what on earth that dazzling light in front of them was. After a while, her question was answered as the warmth of the fire heated her frozen body. The spirit disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the three teenagers found themselves facing enormous flames that were blazing in front of them.
"What on earth does this mean?" Tom asked. The area in front of them was engulfed in crimson death, and to be completely honest with himself, Tom Riddle felt a sense of fear for the first time, a fear that was not caused by a human.
"It is a message," Juan remarked. "If you pay attention, the flames are only printed on the ground. That is why no other part of the forest has caught fire," he pointed with his hand.
"But how will we know what it says?" Althea asked.
"That is why I am here," Juan rolled up his sleeves and extended his fingers toward the flames. As soon as they felt the magic of the boy, they began to sway violently. He shrunk them down, and with another motion, they lifted off the ground without leaving any burn marks on the grass. His fingers raised them high, and now the letters appeared clearly and legibly.
Αρχή ήμισυ παντός
The darkness may fall.
The ancient Greek phrase that caught the witch's attention was the first one. The two boys looked at her, waiting for her to tell them the translation.
"It is a saying by Pythagoras. Every beginning is half of the whole."
The words in front of them rearranged once again and formed another phrase in ancient Greek.
Θανέειν πέπρωται άπασι
Althea swallowed hard and said, "Pythagoras again. It is destined for everyone to die." The words formed fires, and Juan dissolved them like the explosion of a supernova, creating a towering phoenix of flames that scattered into ashes, falling upon them like snow.
"What does all this mean?"
Althea shook her head in confusion. "They were just Pythagoras' sayings. I can not understand their purpose."
Althea and Juan exchanged glances, completely ignoring Tom Riddle, who was still staring at the spot where the flames had risen as if his blood had been drained from his veins. "How did you do that, Chang?" asked the boy from Slytherin.
Juan looked at him, sweat dripping like silver on his face, making him resemble a small deity. "My lineage possesses these abilities. I can control many elements of nature with a single gesture, only if I desire," he replied. "The wizards of Asia are known for being masters of nature and all that moves within it. I have done it many times," he explained to Althea.
The girl shook her head, and Riddle turned to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, and each shade of her skin resisted against a soft white hue. Her hair was disheveled, and her lips were frozen. She was more vulnerable to the cold than the two men, which prompted Tom to speak to Juan, "Lynch is freezing. Maybe we should return to the castle."
Juan could only agree with him. He looked at Althea, her eyes half-closed, ready to succumb to the cold and frost. "I do not think she can walk," he said.
"No, I can," she said, holding her head. "Agh, I feel very dizzy."
"You are not able to stand up on your own," Juan replied. Althea was about to faint and then Juan lifted her in his arms. Althea let herself find warmth in Juan's embrace feeling her heart being encircled by care.
Tom looked at Althea, who had curled up in Juan's embrace, and he felt a strange sensation impaling through him, penetrating his empty heart and then his mind. It was an unsettling feeling that he could not decipher. Once, Abraxas Malfoy had asked Althea Lynch if her arrival was a good or bad omen. Now, Tom Riddle could answer this question. Althea Lynch was not just any omen, but the embodiment of demolition and his disarray.
OOF, Althea broke character for a sec
Vote and comment, I will be more than happy to express your opinion about my story <33
This chapter was hella big 💀 sorry for any grammar mistakes