Amelia Merlin

Part 112: The Graveyard

It was like the first snow fall. Stillness covers everything and a heavy silence blankets the world.

That's what the graveyard felt like. Amelia wasn't given anytime to adjust before Sapana dragged her over to a tombstone.

"Sit." She commanded.

"No." Amelia stuck her chin out defiantly.

Sapana drew a heavily jewelled knife that looked oddly familiar. She held it to Jeremy's throat. "Sit or I kill your brother."

Amelia sat without another word. She decided silence was the best option until she figured out what Sapana wanted. Jeremy sat on the other side of the tombstone so they were back to back. Sapana tied a thick rope around them, it was impossible to move.

Amelia decided not to point out that she could get out of this whenever she pleased. A rope was not enough to contain her.

"Don't move." Sapana said fiercely. "I swear to the gods I will-"

"Don't patronize me Sapana." Amelia rolled her eyes. "What do you want? Are you going to hurt me? Torture me? Kill me?"

"I'm going to educate you. You have sinned Amelia Merlin. And the time of atonement it's upon us." She smiled and stroked the side of Amelia's face down to her chin.

"Are you on crack? What are you talking about?" Amelia felt a panic rising in her chest. There was something off about Sapana.

"Magic." The dark haired woman purred. "Magic is the greatest sin. It destroys what the gods put in place and knows no boundaries. Akkedis has been breaking down your followers in Kalishterya and eradicating the stain your family put there."

"Magic is not a bad thing!"

"That's not what your brother thinks." She shot, her calm demeanour perforated. 

"What?" Amelia couldn't keep up with this. Sapana wasn't making any sense.

"Jeremy. He came to us five years ago. He was done with magic, wanted to help us remove it. Who taught you the words aperire animo? The words that brought your dreams?"

Amelia couldn't move. Her heart stopped. Her blood stopped. Every nerve in her body stopped.

"Yes." Sapana smiled in a deranged glee. "Aperire animo means open your mind. You allowed us entrance when you said those words and we infiltrated your precious little head. The psychological torture was all we needed to break you down. And when you are at your weakest, we will destroy you."

"You keep saying we." Amelia fumed, she wanted to rip that pretty head right off that poised neck. "But you're the only one here. I don't see Akkedis anywhere."

"The Lord of Dreams would not present himself at such an insignificant time." She drew herself up to her full height. "He is busy elsewhere. We are waiting for another lord. The Dark Lord."

"You know who? I don't understand. I thought you hated magic." She snarled, the ropes twisted around her uncomfortably.

"Don't you see? The Dark Lord may use magic but he serves the gods, even if he does not see it himself! His use of legilimens makes him a servant to our cause! And when he falls, his army will be ours. Really Amelia," she patronized. "How did you not understand this sooner? Lizards and snakes. Dreams and legilimens."

"Why are you working for him?" She cried. Amelia hated that it was all adding up. She felt a tumultuous presence stalking her, waiting to pounce.

Sapana raised her eyebrows. "I work in a dream shop. And I serve him because he is the saviour that was promised. He will rectify the damages done by the Merlin family. He will destroy the magic that separates humans from each other and from the gods!"

"You're working with one of the most powerful wizards of all time!"

"And I paid the price for it." Tears filled Sapana's hollow eyes. "My son was killed."

"I'm - I'm sorry-"

"Why?" She laughed derisively. "You killed him."

Just as she thought she was getting a grip on what this mad woman was in about, she said some shit like that.

"What the fuck are you talking about!"

"My boy. Kiri." Tears fell down her face. "I gave him to the cause. He was sent to you in your dreams. A little angel with dark hair, like mine and eyes like his fathers. In the Room of Requirement, you killed him. You and that boy, Cedric Diggory."

Amelia's mouth fell open. Her burning desire to hurt Sapana had vanished. She no longer wanted to touch a hair on that mothers head. Amelia felt sick. She thought she was going to spew her stomach contents all over the ground. The thought of that little boys dead body had been the worst thing in her life. Worse than her father or mother or  Akkedis.

"Which is why one of you will die tonight. And since Akkedis does not condone killing, it will be at the hands of the Dark Lord. That is why we are here tonight. So you can see what it is that magic does." Her sharp chin jutted out in a regained confidence.

"N - no. You - you can't." She sputtered. "Why are you doing this? You're insane!"

Sapana swooped down so their eyes were inches from each other. An outsider might have thought a passionate kiss would happen soon.

"I am doing this because you killed the light of my life. And because magic is for the godless." Her voice was dangerously low. Amelia was reminded of Severus Snape.

"Please," she whispered. "Please don't kill him. You have to take me instead. Cedric is good and kind and -"

"Akkedis had spoken. The boy will die."  She stood up again and turned her head in the direction where two boys had suddenly appeared a hundred feet away.

"Cedric!" The scream ripped through her body. "Sapana you can't do this! Cedric!"

A flash of green.

Thump.

Screams.

Ropes squeezing her insides.

Then all she could hear was her heart beat.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

The blood still pumping through her body.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Sapana wiped tears from her face and turned from the sight of the body.

Lub-dub.

Pounding in her ears.

Lub-dub.

Jeremy called out her name.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Sapana walked away. Towards the cauldron burning in the graveyard.

Lub-dub.

Jeremy grabbed her arm and ripped the ropes off her.

"We have to go Amelia."

Lub-dub.

"We have to leave now!"

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

"Okay." She heard herself say. She sounded to small, her voice was like glass.

He turned on his heel and they hurtled into the abyss. The Entrance Hall gleamed before them. It was a shocking contrast to the sullen grey graveyard. The bright golden lights from the candles were rays of sunshine.

But Cedric Diggory was dead.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

Lub-dub.

A/n hey guys! Thanks to everyone still reading this far! You people are incredible! Please let me know if something doesn't make sense or you need more explaining!