Maxima had divided the work evenly, Sirius (disguised, of course) and Harry would go to Gringotts where they would take out the cup from the vault and ask about ways to remove Horcruxes from living beings. Professor McGonagall would go to the Room of Requirement to get the diadem and Professor Snape would go to the Gaunt House (more like a shack, thought Maxima.) for the ring.
That, of course, left the cave. And no matter how much she hated the scheming old man, she did not want to torture someone. After the others had left for their goals, Maxima turned to Poseidon to pet him ("Stay, okay?") and then to the Headmaster, "Shall we, sir?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded and they walked down to Hogsmead where the Headmaster offered his arm. Maxima gripped his proffered arm and she felt the sensation of being pulled into the tube. They landed in the same place as the books. It was a bleak view, the sea and the rock unrelieved by any tree or sweep of grass or sand. Professor Dumbledore lit his wand.
"This is quite a place isn't it?"
Maxima responded with the same sarcasm the Headmaster had, "Oh yes Professor. Quite a..." she sighed, "place. To the cave then, Professor?"
He nodded and with the sudden agility of a much younger man, he slid from the boulder, landed in the sea, and began to swim, toward the dark slit in the rock face, his lit wand held in his teeth. Maxima soon followed with speed.
Once they reached the entrance, the professor cast a warming charm and her teeth stopped chattering. "T-Thanks Professor."
Dumbledore walked forward and started caressing the wall and murmuring. Maxima stepped forward, "Professor, it's quite crude."
He looked at her and looked back at the wall, "Surely not?" He looked disappointed like Tom had failed some sort of standard. Maxima shrugged, "Let me, Professor. I cut my hand on a rock earlier."
That, Maxima thought, was a flimsy lie. But it had done the trick. After making the payment, they moved forward. An eerie sight met their eyes: they were standing on the edge of a great black lake, in a cavern so high that the ceiling was out of sight. A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake; it was reflected in the completely still water below. The greenish glow and the light from the two wands were the only things that broke the otherwise velvety blackness but it did not do much. The sight caused Maxima to grit her teeth and stop a shiver. And they set off around the side of the lake, much like in the books. Once Dumbledore found the boat, Maxima didn't hesitate and stepped in. The ride was awkward and Maxima couldn't help but hum very quietly.
Once, they reached the island, Maxima looked to the inferi, her heart ached for Regulus Black. Raised to be loyal, to listen. He did everything for his parent's love only to realise that it was not the right thing, but it was too late. She licked her lips, but he would forever be remembered. Maxima would make sure of it. "Fire."
Maxima turned to Professor Dumbledore who was examining the bowl in the centre, "Fire will keep the inferi at bay. Or is someone we know under there Ms King."
"Something like that Professor." She sighed before turning to the bowl, "Professor, I have to drink it."
Professor Dumbledore furrowed his eyebrows and looked worried, "Are you sure?"
Maxima looked to Professor in the dim, green light. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin, "Yes sir." Professor Dumbledore looked as if it was causing him great pain to transfigure a goblet but he did so nonetheless. Maxima grabbed the goblet and filled it to the brim, "Professor, you have to make me finish this. No matter what." The Professor nodded, albeit hesitantly, and Maxima smiled slightly, trying to lift the mood, "To a better future."
And she drank. Her mind was instantly plagued with all the fights her parents would have. All the times her brother hit her. All the times where she shut the world away and hid in her room, scared. Maxima shuddered, and this was just the first. She gripped the goblet tighter and scooped some more. She drank the second, third, fourth and fifth. Her mind ferociously screaming with pain and despair. And each time it reached newer heights. Each time, a new sensation came and destroyed her in a whole new way.
Maxima wasn't aware of the fact that her face was streaming with tears or the fact that her lip had started bleeding because of how hard she bit it in between goblet-fulls. Maxima slid down slowly, her grip loosening, "No..." she whispered, "I'm sorry. Please.." Maxima whispered.
Professor Dumbledore gripped the goblet and tipped it into her mouth and as she drank, her tears fell faster. "Please, please STOP!" Maxima let out sobs that scraped at her throat but it was nothing compared to the despair she was feeling. It was like a different nightmare altogether.
Professor Dumbledore tipped it into her mouth once more after refilling it, "PLEASE STOP!! MOM! DAD! I'm SORRY! NOT POSEIDON! STOP! Wait, NO! Please!" Maxima begged. Her back aching with phantom pains as the feeling danced across her skin. She fell forward as her hands reached for her back.
Professor Dumbledore remained silent but his face was lined with sadness. He refilled the goblet and every time he brought it to her face to drink, Maxima drank like a thirsty man in a desert and each time, Maxima begged for help, for someone to stop her pain, to not destroy her inside out. "KILL ME!!" Maxima screamed as she cried. Professor Dumbledore refilled the goblet from the bowl and it scraped the said bowl. Maxima drank it and fell still.
Professor Dumbledore let out a soft no as he cast 'Rennerveate' on Maxima a few times before she awoke with a shuddering gasp. "Professor!", she cried when she saw the professor and his face lined with sadness and tears. "We need-" She gulped, her throat aching, "to leave." She was gasping. Her throat felt like sandpaper. "Water.." she gasped out and Dumbledore leaned over the edge and grabbed a goblet-full. Maxima drank as Dumbledore created a ring of fire to protect them from the rising inferi. She slowly got up, using the bowl and stand as a support to get the locket. Professor Dumbledore steadied her and they moved forward.
Unlike the books, it was not Dumbledore relying on anyone but Maxima on Dumbledore. They soon reached the boat and they crossed. The door opened, this time not with Maxima's blood but Dumbledore's. Soon, they reached outside and were under the starry sky, Maxima vaguely felt the sensation of Apparating and once that passed, she noticed they were in Hogsmead.
Maxima blinked and vaguely felt hands supporting her. Maxima didn't even realise when they had reached the Headmaster's office. Though, she was steadily gaining focus. Steadily Adapting. Maxima had no doubt that she would recover.
Once inside the office, Maxima found everyone there looking brighter than before. Professor Snape seemed to have some sort of approval on his face. Sirius looked proud, Professor McGonagall had a tiny smile on her face and Harry seemed to be smiling. Poseidon was wagging his tail and seemed to be enjoying the rubs he was getting from Harry. Good, they must have good news, thought Maxima. But at the sight of Maxima leaning on Professor Dumbledore, the light that seemed to be present in the room. Vanished. Poof, thought Maxima. She stood up straight, swaying slightly. Harry stepped forward at Maxima's swaying and helped her into a chair. Poseidon stood behind her to catch her. Good boy, she thought.
"What happened?" Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore whose face had tear tracks. He focused back onto Maxima whose eyes seemed to clearer with each blink. She looked worse for wear, her arm had a tiny cut and her immaculate hair seemed out of place. Her face was also had tear tracks and her lip was bleeding. He looked to Professor Dumbledore.
Maxima patted Harry's hand which was on her shoulder, "We had to get past a bunch of nasty enchantments." Maxima took a deep breath in and Professor Snape handed her a calming draught which she drank. She licked her lip, focusing on the split area. "It's all fine. But are the other Horcruxes destroyed?"
Sirius was the one who replied, "Yes, even the one you asked the goblins about."
Maxima looked towards Harry who was worriedly gazing at her and smiled, "Welp, I told you I had a good reason."
Professor McGonagall seemed even more worried, but Maxima stood up from the chair and Harry's hand still had not left her shoulders. Maxima looked at all the destroyed Horcruxes. "So how did you do it?"
Professor Snape tilted his head, "Basilisk Venom. As we have an unlimited supply and Fawkes was on stand-by, we felt it prudent."
Maxima took out the locket from her pocket and sighed. Regulus Arcturus Black, you will be remembered. Kreacher, you will be gain Peace. Sirius...Maxima paused in her thoughts to speak, "Call Kreacher."
Sirius looked a bit angry, "What?! That rotten thing!? What for?"
Maxima looked up from the locket, her eyes blazing like an icy storm and Harry would have awkwardly stepped away from her in fear but he was holding her steady, for Maxima while feeling well was physically tired. "Call. Kreacher." Maxima said softly yet firmly. Poseidon let out a small whimper before barking.
Sirus barked out a 'Fine' before calling upon Kreacher. He started muttering about filthy mudbloods and blood traitors before Sirius ordered him to shut up. Maxima's eyes softened and she felt her heartache. To live in an empty house for years with nothing but a portrait for company. To be alone with the feelings of self-loathing and disgust. With the poisonous grip of guilt and despair leeching off him. Maxima steeled herself. All she had to do now was, be kind and patient.
And being kind came naturally.
(A/N): HIYA! How do you like this chapter? Enjoying the story so far? Good? Good. TBH, while I do have an outline of how this story is going to go, some important details are not planned. I might hold a poll for it, who knows. For now, ENJOY!
Laugh Loud and Be Proud.
Word Count: 1804 words