Dark Magic

The Prelude

That it will never come again,

is what makes life so sweet.

-Emily Dickinson

"I think we should try a simple stunning charm first."

Severus' voice echoed through the room of requirements, allowing me to focus my breath and point my wand towards him. But he quickly shook his head and stepped out of my line of fire, "Not on me. On this," He explained, a dummy suddenly appearing to fill the space he stood in merely moments before. My brows furrowed, "Why can't I practise on you if it's so simple?"

The man eyed me as though it was obvious, "So that I can gauge an idea of exactly what I'm up against."

My eyes remained focused on the target, pointing my wand at it and readying myself to cast the spell, "Stupify!"

BOOM!

The moment I spoke the incantation, a jet of green light traversed my arm and expelled from my fingertips, travelled through the wood of my wand and shot towards the dummy at lightening speed. I gasped, watching it his the target, square, and cause it to shoot backwards. It hit the wall hard and shattered into tiny pieces.

I gasped, jumping back in shock as I turned to find Severus; wide-eyed and staring at the wall in disbelief. "What in Merlin's name was that!?" Severus' voice echoed through the room.

"I have no idea. T-The same thing happened when I hit my head." As soon as I spoke the words, another dummy appeared out of thin air.

"Try again. This time, control your emotions. Discipline your mind."

I tried to heed the Potion Master's words, but it would be a further forty-three more times before the power of my stunning spell would wade even a small amount; but I think even that was due to how exhausted I was becoming with each try. Defeat, eventually, replaced frustration. And Severus could see how tired I was becoming.

"Alright, that's enough. You need to eat, regain your strength and be back here tomorrow at 11am." The man instructed, reaching to grasp his black cloak from the floor and putting it back on.

"Thanks, Severus." I managed a forced smile through my panting breaths, grasping my own jacket from the floor as he closed the gap between us. "Emerald?" Nodding, I looked up to face him, his tone serious. "Have any of your prior abilities returned? The unsupported flight? The Legilimency?" He asked, his concerned eyes meeting my own.

I merely shook my head, "No." Mentally cursing myself that we agreed to stop lying to one another. He scoffed, slightly bemused, "You're still a terrible liar, you know?" My confusion was evident as he joined me to exit the room, "You're not angry?"

"No. But it's something we'll have to work on." He spoke simply, lips pursed as he placed his hand over my shoulder and patted it.

Severus was right, I felt very much rejuvenated after eating my dinner, joining Harry, Ron and Hermione in the library for a while before curfew to continue preparation for the third task. The days were closing in on us now, the third task a mere week away. Moody was still teaching, which meant Severus had kept his word not to share our conversation with Dumbledore. If he had, Dumbledore was not doing anything obvious about it. Draco was keeping his distance, which I wasn't sure I really wanted him to do. If there was a time I needed him, it was now.

My grades were starting to improve, particularly in potions now my magic was coming back. But I missed Draco as a partner, our exchanges in classes being few and far between. Cedric Diggory would make a surprising appearance here and there; our nightly conversations in the Hogwarts kitchens becoming a regular occurrence. But as the final task neared, I saw him less around the school. Moody was not watching me quite so much, anymore. I feared his attention had diverted, elsewhere; onto my brother. Which made me increasingly more fearful at the plans Voldemort may be concocting...

"Your restraint is improving." His serpent-like voice jeered as I slowly broke free from my foetal position; my breaths sparse as the after-effect of the cruciatus curse wore off. I had been clawing at my throat, the burning effect beginning to settle in my deep scar that I covered, very well, with a high collar and lots of makeup, nursed by a necklace I swore to Severus I would never take off; the one time I did, being the night Crouch slipped into my mind and I performed the Fiendfyre curse. But, Voldemort did not need to know about that. I wouldn't let him.

Only the dark wizard and Pettigrew stood amongst the tombstones, that evening, in Little Hangleton; Moody supposedly being back at the castle, too, preparing for the third task. It took a few more moments for me to recover before I could rise to my feet, once again. I tried to convince myself each time, it was getting easier; but I was lying to Voldemort and I was lying to myself. The pain did not decrease. It just became easier to hide it, each time. "This will be the last time I see you now, until the third task. You have been most helpful, my dear." A sudden smirk emitted from the man, the feeling of something shooting out of my knocking me from my feet for a brief moment.

Dread began to set in, as the realisation suddenly occurred to me...He had been inside my mind from the very beginning...

Before I had even a millisecond to withdraw my wand and duel the man, I had been disapparated back to the Hogwarts school gates. My blood ran cold, finally catching up with my realisation as I took off, running back towards the castle as quickly as my legs could carry me. Who could I go to? Dumbledore? Severus?

My mind succumbed to the obvious answer, my legs carrying me down into the dungeons as I grasped the potions classroom door and ran inside, to find him leaning over his desk, as though he had half-expected my intrusion. The confusion in his eyes, however, said otherwise. "Miss Potter-"

"-He's been reading my mind from the beginning, Severus! Gaining all the information he possibly could on me and Harry. I think something's going to happen at the third task." I gasped for breath, getting the words out almost too quickly for the man to understand. His darkened eyes appeared concerned, placing his hand comfortingly across my back as I bent over to catch my breath. "It's alright, my dear. You're safe, now." I nodded, feeling the rush of adrenaline begin to wear off at his soothing words.

A low sigh escaped him, "You know, it's such a shame, honestly. You would have been such a good addition to his ranks..."

My brows furrowed at the man's words, dread and confusion settling in as I stood tall to find his wand pointed at me. Only it was not Severus Snape's ebony-wood wand; it was the same wand I had seen pointed at me numerous times before when the cruciatus curse was inflicted on me. It was Bartemius Crouch Jr's wand. And he did not even give me a moment to breathe, nor comprehend the words than would next escape his lips as a jet of bright, green light emitted from said wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

And the world turned dark...

*A/N

Please don't hate me... :)