Maggie stares up at the house in front of her, nibbling on her lip nervously. She knew all of the demons that lurked in the shadows were gone now but the walls held memories. Memories of the worst parts of Maggie's life.
"You don't have to do this today," Fred whispers.
"I know," Maggie squeezes his hand. "I want to"
Fred, Maggie, Remus, Flopsy and a large shaggy dog enter through the front door. As soon as the front door is closed, Flopsy clicks her fingers and all the curtains close tightly as the lights flicker on.
"At least there's no house elf heads," Sirius says, now back in human form. "Where do you want us Mags?"
"The library?" Maggie suggests. "Just pack all of the books up. Throw out any portraits. Or burn them. I don't care. It's through there and on your left"
"Flopsy will begin to deal with the furniture," The house elf beams proudly and Maggie nods.
"Thank you, Flopsy,"
Maggie grabs Fred's hand and begins pulling him up the stairs. She stares at the door in front of her and takes a deep breath before pushing the door open.
"Oh my-" Maggie breathes out.
The back wall room was covered in newspaper clippings of Harry from 1981 to the start of the previous academic year. There was a section dedicated to Mad-Eye Moody, detailing the Auror's descent into madness. Scattered across the wall were pieces of parchment with scribbled writing on them,
"He'd been planning it for-"
"Fourteen years," Fred says.
"Fred, can you go downstairs, into the basement?" Maggie asks. "There's a load of trunks down there, I'm gonna take all of this stuff with us. See if I can find anything about what he's been planning or what's coming next"
"Yeah, course," Fred nods, pressing a kiss on Maggie's forehead before exiting the room.
"It's the door next to the kitchen sink!" Maggie calls after him.
Fred walks into the basement, his wand raised and he notices another door in the corner of the room. He furrows his brows as he walks over to the door, his curiosity guiding his feet. He reaches out and twists the doorknob, pulling it open and his eyes widen in horror.
Behind the door was a small room, barely big enough for Fred to comfortably stand in. The walls were covered in a faded layer of paint that had been marred by deep nail marks and streaks of rust-coloured old blood. The entire floor was stained with old blood but the most horrifying part was in the centre of the small room.
The room was small and dimly lit. As Fred entered, his eyes were drawn to the metal chains bolted to the floor. Attached to the chains were cuffs - two for the ankles and two for the wrists. Their surface was stained with what appeared to be dried blood. As he lifted the cuffs up for a closer look, his gaze shifted to the door.
The wood was heavily marked with scratches as if something had been trying to claw its way out. Despite the wild and animalistic appearance of the marks, Fred knew that it had been a person who had been locked up in this confined space. It had been Maggie.
"It was so horrible,"
Flopsy's voice causes Fred to gasp in surprise, his hand flying up to his chest. The wizard turns to see the house elf staring at the walls, her eyes crystalised with unshed tears.
"Miss Maggie would scream her throat raw," Flopsy whispers. "Apologising to them, promising to do better. To be better. But they wouldn't listen to her. When they'd let her out, she'd be a mess. Sometimes she'd be missing nails from how hard she'd clawed at the door. Sometimes she'd resorted to scratching herself so she'd be covered in blood. It broke Flopsy's heart but Flopsy had been ordered not to help the poor Miss"
"How long would she be locked in here?" Fred asks, placing the cuffs back on the floor.
"Sometimes hours, sometimes days," Flopsy blinks rapidly, trying to rid herself of her tears. "Flopsy was only allowed to bring Miss Maggie food and water or take her to the bathroom to use the toilet"
"What was the longest time?" Fred asks.
"Two weeks," Flopsy's voice cracks slightly. "Flopsy cannot even remember why Miss Maggie was put in here for that long, it was something so trivial"
"Maggie was locked in here for two weeks?" Fred asks, trying to push the nausea down.
"Yes, Master Fred. She came out different. Quiet, jumpy," The house elf sighs sadly. "Flopsy raised Miss Maggie, taught her to talk and walk but Flopsy couldn't protect her. But Flopsy found a loophole. Flopsy changed Miss Maggie's memories"
"You did that for her?" Fred asks.
Flopsy nods, "Yes, Master Fred. Flopsy could not bear to see Miss Maggie suffer, and Flopsy couldn't defy orders outright. So, Flopsy altered her memories to shield her from the truth. The nightmares were less harmful than the reality."
"You altered my memories? Of what?"
Fred and Flopsy turn to see Maggie walking towards them and they share a look. Fred steps out of the room before moving to the side to allow Maggie to see the small space.
"I thought I was going crazy," Maggie whispers. "I didn't understand why I had these nightmares, why I felt so trapped."
Flopsy bows her head in apology as she wails. "Miss Maggie, Flopsy is truly sorry for the pain you had to endure. It was the only way Flopsy knew to protect you"
Maggie's gaze shifts between the cuffs on the floor, the marked walls, and Flopsy's remorseful expression. She takes a moment to absorb the revelation, the pieces of her past falling into place.
"In a weird way, I knew they were real," Maggie says, sitting next to Flopsy on the floor. "But as I got older I just assumed it was repression of bad memories"
"I should not have deceived Miss Maggie," Flopsy sobs. "Miss Maggie should hate me"
"You tried to keep me safe Flopsy," Maggie smiles sadly at the house elf. "I could never hate you"
Flopsy, still visibly distraught, looks up at Maggie with tear-filled eyes. "Miss Maggie... Flopsy only wanted to protect you. It was all Flopsy could do."
Maggie reaches out and gently touches Flopsy's small hand. "You did more than anyone else ever did, Flopsy. You were there for me, and you tried to shield me from the pain. I don't hate you. I'm grateful for what you've done."
Fred, standing nearby, watches the exchange with a deep sense of compassion. He kneels down beside Maggie and Flopsy, offering his support. "Flopsy, you did what you thought was right at the time. We're here to help Maggie through this now."
"Oh my Merlin-"
Remus' shocked voice causes Flopsy, Fred and Maggie to turn and see their old professor and Sirius staring at the small room in horror. Sirius averts his eyes from the room, sitting next to Maggie, placing a comforting arm around her as Remus covers his mouth.
"Let's get this house all packed up," Maggie says.
The witch raises her wand and flicks it at the door which slams closed, hiding the evidence of the House of Horrors that had been Maggie's home for thirteen years. The witch turns away from the white door before walking up the stairs, Flopsy's hand in her own.
Remus and Sirius, still processing the shocking revelation, join the efforts to dismantle and pack away the belongings. The atmosphere is sombre, but there's a shared determination to help Maggie move forward.
Fred, Flopsy, and Maggie work together, sorting through books, removing portraits, and preparing the house for closure. As the last box is sealed, Maggie looks around the empty living room, an unreadable emotion in her eyes.
"I never thought I'd escape this place or them,"
"I thought the same about my family," Sirius says, placing a hand on the witch's shoulder. "But I did and so have you. We both found our own families"
Maggie offers Sirius a small smile, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and resilience. "Yeah, we did. Found a family that actually cares."
Flopsy, who had been diligently helping with the packing, chimes in, "Miss Maggie has a good family now. Flopsy is proud to be part of it. Master Sirius is most kind"
"You flatter me,"
"We're a messy bunch aren't we?" Remus sighs, throwing an arm around Fred's shoulder causing the younger wizard to grin at him.
"The best kind of messy,"