Dark Daughter

Chapter 9: Another Meeting

(March 20^th)

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table during dinner, in March, reading the Daily Prophet with Ron, Hermione, and a frown.

Werewolves and Vampires Go Missing

The werewolves of the world are going missing! At least twenty-one werewolves have apparently disappeared last night or this morning after the full moon. The reason for this is still unknown.

"He locks himself up every full moon," says Danny Darwin a good friend of one of the missing werewolves in the United States, Mark Mangle. "So he won't be able to hurt anyone. He's always weak after his transformations. He wouldn't and couldn't leave."

Darwin is not the only upset friend or family member of a werewolf. None of them, however, were available for comment. The werewolves have vanished in places such as Albania, Romania, India, the Americas, Australia, and all of Asia. The only werewolves who remain safe are those in Britain (there are five who currently live in the United Kingdom).

While Werewolf Support Services and the Werewolf Registry search for the werewolves, the Vampire Control Unit is searching desperately for missing vampires. After severe over slaying and some killing of "innocent" vampires, the amount of existing vampires has lowered to forty-two worldwide, all of whom have vanished.

"We have no idea where they could be," says the representative for the Vampire Control Unit. "Many of them are very loyal to their Ministries and won't leave us for the world, but they've gone too. We believe that this is the act of the V.W.G.S. who have been trying to kill vampires illegally for years."

The V.W.G.S. stands for Vampire, Werewolf, and Giant Slayers, who kill vampires, werewolves, and giants illegally. As the Ministry searches for the bizarre beings that have gone, the Prophet will keep you informed.

* * *

Amy, David, Jason, Derek and Joanne looked at one another. They, too, had been reading the article.

"Oh, hell," whispered Jason. "Damn, Amy what does this mean?"

"This way," Amy said.

She led them to a secret passage along which a room full of chamber pots was hidden. This was their meeting place. Amy was grateful that it was a Saturday and the school was not crowded with students heading to classes or lunch, because if it had been a school day, they would not be able to get in without someone noticing.

"What does it mean?" Jason repeated when they had closed the door, he had brought the newspaper with him and was clutching it in his hand.

"It means," Amy said slowly, "that Voldemort is forcing and persuading vampires and werewolves to join him, like the giants."

"So what d'you think the Order of the Phoenix is going to do?" Derek asked.

"I don't know," said Amy. "But I do know that Snape and I will have to try and find where they're being kept."

"What about Professor Lupin?" asked Joanne quietly. She had been very fond of their first (and only) werewolf teacher. She had liked him even more than Amy, which was saying something.

"Dumbledore and Sirius will make sure that he's safe," said Jason confidently.

"Yeah," said Amy. Not thinking about Lupin at all, but rather how she was going to find out what was happening and why she hadn't been informed. "Listen, you guys, I need to stay out of this room. Dumbledore might call a meeting of the Order."

"Right," said David. And they left together.

* * *

As she had expected, Amy was called to a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

"I assume that you have all read the paper this morning," said Dumbledore calmly, because everyone else in the room was in a state of slight panic, including Amy. He waited as all of them nodded in response before he continued, "There are very few of us who can do anything about this crisis."

Everyone sat frozen in their seats. Surely Albus Dumbledore, the man who never gave up, had not just said those words. Was there no hope?

"We will not, however, give up hope," he said, reading many of their minds as easily as he had read the paper this morning. "Remus, you cannot stay in your present home any longer. I am sorry, but you must go into hiding."

Remus nodded. "I will speak with you after the meeting, as much as I trust you all, I cannot take risks. Amy, Severus--I need to speak to you after the meeting as well. Hagrid, will you go check and see if the werewolves and vampires of the forest are still there?"

"Yes," said the half-giant. "I'll go now!"
"Be careful," many people called after Hagrid as he left.

"Everyone must go to a werewolf home," said Dumbledore. "There are nine (more than the Daily Prophet knows). Go in pairs and stay hidden. There will already be Ministry members from the Werewolf Support Services protecting their houses, but you must stay there in case they are in need of your help."

They spent the rest of the meeting matching partners and the werewolves that they would protect. Finally, it was over, and Dumbledore summoned Snape and Amy to him.

"I have no mission for you," said Dumbledore, "it's nothing new. Just keep your eyes and ears open for information. Ask those who you know will tell you. Like Crabbe and Goyle. Amy, you told us that they would tell you anything."

"It depends how I word it," Amy said doubtfully, "but I'll give it a try."

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Now, if the two of you would leave, I need to speak with Mr. Lupin."

Amy and Snape left.

"What do you think this means?" Amy asked as they strode down the darkening corridors. "Do you think Voldemort is really starting that battle?"

Snape turned to face her. He looked slightly eerie with his face half hidden in shadow. "What battle are you talking about, Evans?"

"Remember the night Potter was kidnapped?" Snape nodded mutely. How could he ever forget it? Amy continued her explanation. "Right before he tortured me and threw me out that window he said something about me ruining a battle where he would be invincible. Remember?"

"Yes," Snape said slowly. "Have you mentioned this to Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, of course I have," said Amy. "He didn't seem concerned. But I think Voldemort mentioned it a couple more times. He called it 'the battle.'"

"I don't know, Evans. I just don't know."

"Neither do I," she said.

"Have you told Dumbledore about your father?" Snape asked.

"Yes," said Amy. "I told him when I was in the hospital wing."

"Good time to tell him," said Snape.

"Why?"

"You were ill, Evans," he replied. "It's hard to be angry or discomforting when you're lying in that bed."

He actually grinned down at her. Severus Snape, the hated Potions Master, was smiling at her. The stony-faced professor had actually told a joke, a bad one at that, but a joke all the same. He did have a sense of humor! Even if it was a strange one, it was a sense of humor. Amy smiled back. It was a peculiar relationship between the two of them. They weren't exactly great friends but they trusted each other. Amy felt a sort of glow in her heart as realized that she never went to the Death Eater meetings alone. She had a partner and an unexpected friend in her Potions Master!

* * *

"How was it?" asked David, as though being called to a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was as ordinary as him getting a detention.

"Fine," said Amy.

"We've got endless homework from Snape," said Jason moodily. "Nasty, slimy git. Don't you think Amy?"

He looked over at Amy, who didn't respond.

"Don't you think Snape's an slimy git, Amy?" he repeated.

Amy smiled. "You know," she said, "he's okay. He really is okay."

* * *

Arthur Weasley leaned against a large willow tree and yawned. It was one o'clock in the morning. He had been guarding Lunar Noctiluca, a werewolf, all night. He would have liked to do nothing more than curl up at the bottom of the tree and fall asleep. But he couldn't, he had to stay awake.

"You all right, Dad?" asked his son, Charlie.

"Yeah, son," said Arthur sleepily.

"Go to sleep," said Charlie. "Go ahead. I'll keep watch. As long as you agree to take over when I want to sleep. Okay?"

"Are you sure you want to--"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, if the Death Eaters attack, I don't want to have to fend them off on my own because you've fallen asleep on your feet."

Both father and son chuckled for a moment like children, though the joke hadn't been all that funny. Arthur agreed and, within minutes, fell into a light sleep.

* * *

Amy took off her Invisibility Cloak and scanned the library for the book she was looking for. Once she'd finished her homework with her friends, being unable to sleep, she'd gone to the library to do some research. Holding her lighted wand in front of her, she made her way down the many columns of books. The place was usually paradise. She could sit here and read for days on end, that is, if she was allowed to. The trouble was, their too much work to be done, and now that she was thrown into the mix with the Order of the Phoenix, she had very little time during the day or night to read what she liked.

Finally, she found what she wanted. It was a tiny but dusty book called--it wasn't called anything! The funny thing about books like these in the magical world was that the truly old and special books, were not given names, or indexes, or contents, or even authors. Nevertheless, she picked it up and flipped through the book.

Amy ended up sitting down, because it took so long. At long last, she came upon the story she was looking for. But--this was bizarre--the story just started without introduction or without even explaining what it was talking about. However, Amy understood what it meant. She was also sure that no one had ever read this book in the library before. It read:

To defeat the Dark Lord, the Heirs of Hogwarts must first know the halls of their ancestors, and learn the magic that was meant to be taught by the founders. They must wear the hat of the bravest, Gryffindor, and discover what house in which they belong. Two will be in Gryffindor's house, though one is not is own heir, but rather his enemy's. Other Heirs will be in their respective houses, fulfilling their destiny.

The Heirs will consist of two males and two females. The Heir Slytherin, the one whose ancestor led to their separation, will rejoin them during a great battle brought forth by the Dark Lord.

The Heir of Slytherin, his only child, will be connected to him by body, blood and soul. A bird of love and hope, and of one who had led the Heirs to victory, but was killed, will return after the Heir of Slytherin shows him loyalty. He will bring the swords of the Founders in his grasp and in an unexpected container. Then Hogwarts heirs will wield the weapons of their ancestors and with them conquer the Dark Lord forever.

But the Heir of Slytherin will not survive without spiritual help of a good soul, and if none are present, he or she will be taken with the spirit of the Dark Lord. If a pure soul is present, it may not be enough to save the body, and the likelihood of he or she dying is very great. It is only through this sacrifice, that the Dark Lord will be overcome.

Amy put down, the book, feeling slightly sick. Someone would be killed, someone who had a special bird. She didn't care about what was going to happen to her, but someone else . . . suddenly, the book's pages began to turn rapidly all by themselves. She tried desperately to find the page she was on, but when she found it, the writing was gone.

* * *

Arthur had a strange dream. He was standing in the middle of a large field. Suddenly, an army of blurred figures ran out toward each out each other. There was screaming and yelling. Children crying. And several blasts of green light--

"Dad! Dad! Wake up!"

"W-what?" Arthur woke with a start. "What happened?"

"Something's happening over there!" said Charlie. "Let's go see. We should have made sure that the house was in sight!"

They got up and ran towards the house that Lunar lived in. There was the sound of men screaming.

"Stop!" cried Arthur. "Stop!"

Two stiff bodies lay at the doorstep. They were the Ministry wizards whom were sent to protect Lunar's house. The full Body-Bind had apparently been placed on them. Charlie gave the counter curse.

"We going to stop them," he said. "We'll explain later, if we can."

And they hurried away. Three cloaked, hooded, figures were fleeing. One had the limp figure of a man in his arms. Charlie realized with a sickening twist of his stomach that the figures were dementors. They spoke in petrifying, eerie, hissing, screeches in which words were understandable.

"Come no closer!" hissed the one carrying Lunar.

"Release him!" shouted Charlie. Speaking more bravely than he felt.

The dementors hissed and screeched something like an incantation. Charlie had no time to step aside before a jet of misty gas encircled him. He thought he heard them chuckling before everything when black.

* * *

"Charlie?" said a voice. "Charlie wake up!"

Someone was shaking Charlie gently. He groaned. What was going on? Where was he? Who had brought him here? What was going on? He felt weak, cold and ill. He opened his eyes.

His father's concerned face was visible in a queer fog that surrounded him. He couldn't understand much. All he knew that he wanted his father by his side. Somebody--anybody--to comfort him and tell him it was going to be okay.

"Dad?"

"Yes, it's me Charlie," whispered his father. "It's going to be all right. Here, I'm going to help you sit up. Okay?"

An arm around his shoulders was pushing him forward. Charlie didn't have the strength. He slipped into darkness once more.

* * *

Amy was hurrying down the corridors. She had to get to the dungeon. Voldemort had summoned her. She was working hard to relax. Stay cool, she told herself repeatedly. Everything will be okay if you stay cool. STAY COOL!

Snape was waiting with the portkey in his hand. They didn't speak to each other. Snape only said the words and they sped off.

Amy and Snape hit the ground with tremendous force. Amy got steadily to her feet. They were the same house as before, which Amy thought was unwise of Voldemort.

"The werewolves and vampires are well hidden," Voldemort was saying. "I will not tell you where. Only three of you know where. All of you have your missions. All of you except Amilia and Snape . . . "

He beckoned them forward. Amy's stomach was churning horribly. What did Voldemort want them to do?

"Amilia and Snape have the most important mission of all," he told the other Death Eaters, and then he turned to Amy. "You will keep and eye on Hogwarts and the newspapers, make sure that they know nothing of our plans. Tell me if anything gets suspicious. I have not yet chosen a day for the attack. But it will be soon, my friends, I promise you."

At the moment, lights were being to flick on in the village nearby. Voldemort told them to go. It was one the shortest meetings they'd ever been called to. Snape and Amy's feet hit the stone floor of the dungeon and they stumbled backwards but stayed on their feet.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore!" Amy said, making for the door. Snape followed.

There was a big commotion at the infirmary door.

"What happened to him?" asked a voice--a Weasley twin.

"Dementors attacked him," said the voice of Mr. Weasley.

Someone groaned and Mrs. Weasley said, "Shhh. Charlie, dear, it's all right. You'll be okay soon."

She was bent over a stretcher. As Amy and Snape drew closer, Amy saw that she was stoking the person on the stretcher's face--it was Charlie Weasley!

Dumbledore came out of the crowd and towards Amy and Snape.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"All of the werewolves have been captured by the dementors. Many in the Order have had the Freezing Mist fired at them."

Amy knew what the Freezing Mist was. It was a fog-like gas that dementors summoned and it encircled the victim, making them weak, ill and clammy for hours.

"So all of the werewolves in the world have been captured?" Amy asked.

"No," said Dumbledore, "Remus Lupin is still hidden."

Amy let out a long, low, sigh of relief.

"We need to talk to you," said Amy.

"It can wait until morning," said Dumbledore, without meeting Amy's eyes. "I'll call a meeting tomorrow night. You can tell me then. I must stay with the those of the Order who are ill."

"But it's impor--"

"It can wait," said Dumbledore sternly.

Amy stopped and stared at him. Why wouldn't he listen?

She decided to go to Gryffindor tower. As she passed one of the Weasley twins, Fred said, "It's all your fault!"

Ron and George were giving her nasty looks.

Amy chose not to answer and ran back to her dormitory, fighting tears and not daring to look back.

* * *

Amy sat at the long table where the Order of the Phoenix held their meetings. She was avoiding Dumbledore's eyes. She was relieved to even be called to the promised meeting. She had a strange feeling that Dumbledore didn't trust her anymore. He said the words that announced the beginning of the meeting and they got started.

All accounts explained how the captures of the werewolves took place. Hagrid told everyone that the werewolves and vampires of the Dark Forest had gone and it took a while for the Order to settle down again. Finally, Dumbledore asked Amy what she wanted to tell him. She explained that Voldemort apparently wanted to start an attack.

"He didn't say where, though," said Amy. "I don't think he's told any of the Death Eaters yet."

"Sure, that's what you want us to think," said Amos Diggory loudly.

Amy blinked as though he'd just swung a beater's club in her face.

"Excuse me?" Amy asked faintly.

Surely--surely--he had not just said something like that. But others at the table where nodding in agreement.

"Yeah," said Mundungus Fletcher. "How come every time there's trouble you come running to Dumbledore, saying you need to tell him something?"

She did do that. But Amy had never thought about how odd it was. But every time something bad happened, she felt the only solution was to go to the headmaster.

"And how could you not know about something like the capturing of the vampires and werewolves. Why wouldn't he tell you?"

Amy knew why. Voldemort didn't want his plan to be corrupted. If he gave each Death Eater a special assignment and told no one else about it, there would be less chance of the information getting to Dumbledore. But Amy couldn't tell them that for some reason. And she could look no one in the eye. What was wrong with her?

"I don't know," said Amy quietly.

"Why don't you know?" mocked Dedalus Diggle in nasty tone. "You didn't think we'd figure it out?"

Anger erupted in Amy's chest, combined with confusion and pain. She had proven that she was on their side! She had nearly died for Harry! What was wrong with these fools? It was if the light of trust was flicked out for some unnecessary reason.

"I'm not working for Voldemort!" she said vehemently.

"That's what you say!" said someone in the room that Amy didn't see.

"Where's the proof that I did anything wrong?" she asked angrily.

"That Mark on your arm," said Diggory.

"Why won't you believe me?" Amy asked. "You believed me before! Why is this time any different?"

Amy just couldn't take in the fact that the Order of the Phoenix, the people whom she had admired from afar from the first day she had known they existed, didn't trust her anymore! What had she done to provoke this? Someone with red hair was talking. Amy found that she was strangely disoriented because of shock and she looked to see who was speaking those harsh words that nearly made her cringe.

"Because this time we pieced all of the clues together!" said Bill Weasley.

Amy stared around at the stony faced room. Some looked angry and some were watching her intently. She looked at Dumbledore.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked quietly. "What proof is there? What clues? Surely you don't think I've betrayed you?"

Dumbledore just stared solemnly at her. No, she thought. They don't believe me. None of them believe me. Tears formed in Amy's eyes as she stared into Dumbledore's bright blue ones. She ran from the room before anyone could stop her (not that they would).

Tears streamed down Amy's cheeks as she ran. Losing track of where she was, Amy stopped at the statue of the humpbacked witch on the third floor. She slid down the wall, curled into a ball, put her head in her arms and began to cry.

I told you that he would not believe you, said a voice in her head. I told you that he would not understand.

I thought I was doing the right thing, Amy told the voice with her head was still in her arms.

You should stay on Voldemort's side, said the voice. You have no choice.

But that's wrong! I was never on Voldemort's side!

There is no right or wrong! There is only power. You are not worth anything on this side--with these fools. You are nothing! You are only evil. It's your fault. It's all your bloody fault! But if you go to him, you will have power beyond belief. Go to him! Go to power!

But my friends--

You don't have any friends! They will betray you, just like Dumbledore! You have no hope here. Go to Voldemort!

Well, Amy thought. Voldemort does care about me.

He would teach you to use your power. You are more powerful than anyone in this school. You are more powerful even than Dumbledore. Your only hope is darkness . . . darkness and power!

Yes, yes! I will go over to Voldemort! That will show them! I will be the Queen of Darkness! I will be all-powerful! I am the Queen of Darkness!

But then the images of her destroyed home floated up. The green light in her dreams . . . Aria's terror filled face from her nightmares . . . Haden . . . Kayla . . . Ralph! And then a new series of pictures showed themselves in Amy's mind. Pictures that she had never seen before.

* * *

A man with messy, jet black, hair was standing before her. He raised his wand. But an arm that seemed to be hers stretched out, holding a wand. This was not her body. She had no feeling, but the body was moving. She could only watch.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green light issued from the wand. And man fell backwards with a thud and lay motionless on the ground with his wand lying limply in his had. He was dead! Like Haden . . . like Kayla . . . like Ralph . . . like Aria! Then her vision brought her into a room. A redheaded woman was crouching in front of a baby, who, like the man, had messy, jet black hair. She was screaming--pleading. But the wand rose again and killed her too.

* * *

Amy was still curled in a ball. Her head was still him her arms but the tears had stopped. More dreamlike images formed in her mind's eye.

* * *

There were screaming children. The building was burning. People were running. Everyone who came close to those who were hooded and in cloaks were consumed by a green light and fell to the ground. Haden ran into Amy--or the form that she was supposedly in. He screamed and the wand killed him in an instant.

It seemed to go on for hours. The wand arm killed everyone Amy loved. They all screamed and some tried to protect the smaller ones. Finally, the terror was over!

* * *

Amy raised her head. She was sweating and tears were running down her face. What had happened? She had no memory of ever doing things like that. And that arm hadn't been her own. It had looked like--

And then it hit her. She had visited Voldemort's memory.

There is no hope on either side for me! Amy thought. Not with Voldemort, not with Dumbledore--not with anyone! I'm lost!

She put head down again and sobbed for a long time. Sobbed until--

"Amy?"

"David?"

"Oh, Amy," said David. He walked over to her. "You didn't tell us where you went. The others sent me to check by the stone gargoyle and wait there. I--I heard you crying."

Amy nodded. Tears were still on her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

"Dumbledore," Amy whispered. "Dumbledore doesn't--doesn't--he doesn't--"

"He doesn't trust you?" David finished.

Amy nodded again and said more steadily, "And the Order said that they 'worked out the clues.' Only, I don't know what clues there are. They said that every time there's trouble, I show up and say that I need to talk to Dumbledore. They don't believe me anymore--"

But Amy dissolved into tears again, never finishing her statement. David didn't say anything, he just put his arms around Amy. She put her arms around his neck in return, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Oh David," she whispered. "I'm lost."

"No," said David holding her by the shoulders at arm's length. "You're our friend. That's were you belong--with us. Whether Dumbledore or Voldemort accept you or not, we will always be your friends. So you'll never be lost."

Amy grinned at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you Dave," she said.

"You'd get in a lot less trouble, that's for sure."

They both laughed and walked back to Gryffindor tower. But, half way there, Amy yelled and hunched over her arm.

"Amy what's wrong?"

"Voldemort's calling me," Amy grunted. "I've got to go!"
She ran, still clutching her arm, down the corridors and out of David's sight.