Roasting My Old Writing

Story ten - "Innocent"

Persephone Banksworth was enveloped in darkness. The frigid temperatures of the cell did nothing to help the mood. The mood of despair. Stone walls seemed to close in on the brunette; the insane prisoners echoing screams and the choppy water hitting the rocks were the only sounds one could hear. Persephone did nothing wrong, she knew that. But one little misunderstanding had landed her in the worst jail of all time: Azkaban.

This is going to be... something.

Persephone was different from the other prisoners in two ways. Firstly, she was innocent. Secondly, she was only a child. Why would a child be locked up in Azkaban? Well, they would if they were accused of murder...

ooh, a cliffhanger. 

*

"Albus, is this really a good idea? The child is a murderer! We simply cannot let her go to Hogwarts," argued a stern-looking witch. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, was sitting in his office discussing a situation with his friend and colleague Minerva McGonagall.             

Just so you all know, I was a Dumbledore fan at the time that I wrote this, so he's pretty much the best character in this whole short fanfic.

"Minerva, we have to give the poor girl a chance. She's been locked up in Azkaban for four years. We cannot let the poor thing live like that. If we let her go to school, we can shape her to become a better person." Dumbledore replied. Throughout the whole argument, he had kept a calm demeanor. He truly wanted to give Persephone Banksworth a chance, but Minerva certainly was stubborn.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "We both know that Banksworth is dangerous. Why should we endanger the other students? She's mad, Albus. The parents will be concerned with having a murderer at the same school as their children. Everyone knows Banksworth. She's almost as infamous as You-Know-Who himself."

From what I remember when I was thinking about this story, she was really, really famous. And only for (spoiler) supposedly killing her family. Sure, she was a child. But she can't be almost as famous as the guy who was murdering thousands and endangering lives across the UK for years. 

Still the headmaster stood strong in his beliefs. The child would be rescued, and that was that. "Minerva, we need to give the child a chance. How do we know that she really killed her family? All that was found were the bodies of her family and a wand that had recently cast the killing curse. We don't know that she really killed them. We need to give her a chance. To give an education to someone who needs it. To give happiness to a child who has had none in years," he pleaded.                                                                                                                                                                                      

  I feel like Dumbledore wouldn't really be so obliged to let Persephone in, and it would be Minerva if someone was saying that. Also, why did everyone blame Persephone for the murders? She was literally seven, how would she have known the killing curse??

The Transfiguration professor let her employer's monologue sink in. "Fine, Albus. If we must. But if there is any sign of mischief, we send her straight back." 

Minnie isn't the type to send a child to Azkaban. 

With that, the decision had been made. Persephone would be rescued.

CHAPTER TWO: The Rescue

In the middle of the North Sea there is an island. In the middle of that island there is a building. In the middle of that building there is a cell. In the middle of that cell there is girl.

Persephone opened her eyes. Her pupils scanned the dark room. Early morning light shone through a high up window, illuminating the small quarters. Tally marks showing the days gone by decorated the walls like moss on an old building; slowly growing, little by little. Persephone's body ached from sleeping on the cold, hard floor. She longed for her bed. The one she had four years ago, when she lived with her family.

Are they even allowed to send a seven year old to Azkaban? Doesn't that sound extreme??

"Good morning, Stefan. Good morning, Janet."

Stefan and Janet did not respond to the girl. Walls cannot speak, even if they have names.

Persephone had taken to talking to her walls so she wouldn't go insane without human comfort. With no one to converse with, she needed something to keep her from going crazy.

To me, talking to walls with names to not go crazy sounds a little crazy, I must say.

She started her day normally. Marking a line on the wall and waiting for her meal to arrive via Dementor. Persephone's mind wandered, as it usually did. All of her bad memories came flooding back, ones that she would rather forget.

Something struck Persephone as different. There was a change in the air. Something... happy? She hadn't felt that feeling in many years, and almost forgot the warm and inviting feeling of joyfulness.

A dark, withered hand opened up a latch to hand in a plate of food. If you could call it food, even. The so called porridge tasted like mushy grime, and Persephone has a suspicion that it actually was. Suddenly a bright blue light bounded towards the dementor, chasing it away. Persephone quickly grabbed the food and hid in the corner. What was that light? Would it hurt her? What would it do?

The cell door blasted open with a bang. Dust and metal flew everywhere in the room, creating a huge mess. In the doorway stood two figures. The young girl was blinded. She had not seen such bright light since she lived with her family. Before the incident when - 

Persephone couldn't bring herself to finsh that thought, and instead brought her focus back to the present.

The tallest of the two figures stepped forward, cautious of the girl. "Are you Persephone Banksworth?" asked a calm voice. The voice was welcoming, like a kindly grandfather's.

"Who's asking?" Persephone shot back. The man with the grandfather voice stepped into the light. His silvery-white beard and hair reached down to his belt, and he wore robes of royal purple. His blue eyes were filled with wonder, hidden behind half-moon shaped spectacles. Wrinkles were scattered across his face like waves on an ever moving ocean. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The young girl's face hinted a sign of recognition, but from where she was not sure. Persephone knew that she had heard the name Albus Dumbledore somewhere, she knew that. 

Annnnd that's the end. Not the worst, I guess. But there are some plot holes.