The Nightmare Man

Chapter 16

Harrison was woken up in the morning by Lucy jumping up and down his bed, not even glancing at the hovering Dementor. None of his servants confessed about pointing out his rooms to that little menace, and then Lucy decided to spin around with the Dementors, giggling. Which made him wonder if she hit her head somehow and lost her marbles. She didn't even mind the cold!

"Not even the tiniest bit?" Harrison wondered.

"It's alright," Lucy said.

"If you say so... now, shoo, I'm going."

"Going where? I go too!"

"Dungeons, and there's no children in the dungeons. Go play fetch or something."

"I'm not a dog," Lucy protested.

"Just go, play with someone."

Ywgraine and Joanne jumped at the chance. Angel was clinging to Joanne, as Severus was busy in the potions lab. With Lucy distracted, Harrison went down the dungeons alone to meet Fred and George.

They were both resting on stone tables, breathing deeply. Harrison moved his hands above their chests. The magic hummed around them.

"Time to wake up," Harrison said.

The magic vibrated, enough to be seen, and then vanished into the two bodies. Fred woke up first, silvery sheen in his eyes. He sat up and looked at himself. Then at George, and last at Harrison.

"I was eaten by a Dementor," Fred said.

"Yes, you were."

"That's the most horrible thing I've ever experienced, and then it spat me out."

"Indeed it did," Harrison said.

"That was disgusting."

"Yes, it was," George agreed and sat up as well. "You made them like that on purpose? All... scary and that-that missing face-looking?"

"Yes," Harrison said. "What would be the point of making them good-looking, or friendly? They're made to frighten people, so a pink rabbit hardly would have done the job alright."

"He has a point," Fred told George.

"That he does. But a pink rabbit that would devour souls sounds equally terrifying."

"I don't want their victims feeling calm and happy," Harrison clarified. "I want them terrified as soon as they look at my children."

"Oh," George said. "I see. Well, you have succeeded pretty much."

"Thank you."

"So, why are we here?" Fred asked Harrison. "Did you save us, despite being a big, bad Dark Lord?"

"Kind of saved you, I supposed. How do you feel?"

"Strong," George said.

"Yeah, but pretty normal beyond that," Fred said. "But I have a feeling I had something against you before this but that's gone. Did you fiddle around with our brains?"

Harrison did stifle a laugh at the suspicious look he was given.

"Yes, I might had fiddled a little bit," he said, holding a hand over his mouth. "Are you angry about it?"

"Not really. That's your fault too, isn't it?"

"Probably. Who knows? Then, are you two willing to work for me?"

"You ask people that?" Fred said.

"Sometimes I do. I heard it's polite so I figured if I do it once in a while it's fine."