Enlightened
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 02-12-04 16:32
After Sebastian's odd display at the Hufflepuff table, everyone seemed to relax again. Bronwyn edged a bit closer to him and returned to her plate of food, which gave off a mouth-watering smell and had the Hufflepuff sixth year craving more. She ate in silence for a while, since no one else seemed to be speaking, and thought about the bombshell Desi had dropped a couple of weeks ago.
Bronwyn learned for the first time since meeting Desi last year that she had a sister, and not just an ordinary sister but an identical twin. Her first reaction to learning the news had been surprise. She hadn't said anything for several minutes and it had left Desi somewhat concerned.
"Are you all right, Bronwyn?" Desdemona had asked, figuring Bronwyn had had ample time to absorb the shocking information.
"You have a sister, an identical twin sister in fact and I'm just now finding out about it?" Bronwyn had questioned calmly. She hadn't been angry or hurt or anything. She understood that people had secrets, secrets which they kept from even their closest friends. More than anything, Bronwyn had been very confused.
"How come there wasn't any trace of her when I visited you in Washington?"
"She was with my grandparents," Desi had explained, "and they don't have a phone. And all of Bianca's stuff was in her room and behind lock and key, so..."
"You must really not like her to not want to talk about her," Bronwyn had said then. "I've never heard of identical twins being so different from one another. All I ever think about is how alike Fred and George are both in appearance and personality. It's strange to think they could be otherwise."
Back in the present, Bronwyn lifted her goblet and took a sip of her drink. She thought of Desi and the mysterious Bianca some more and then looked across the table at Arley, who was taking a bite of some cake. Desi had told her to ask him about Bianca if she wanted more information but Bronwyn hadn't done it and she wasn't sure she would.
She set her goblet back down and tried to think of something else. The first thought to come to mind was Quidditch, and Bronwyn broke the silence among the four friends to say, "So who here is excited about Quidditch?"
Into the Black Hole
Author: Nevvyn
Date: 02-12-04 18:17
Dierna vanishes through a three-foot hole in the ceiling and I hear a gasp. After a moment, a ladder ratchets its way down from the opening and I climb up. The first thing I notice is the general miasma of pain and agony which pervades the entire place. The second is the fact that this room has the blackness of The Pit about it. Walls, ceiling and floor are a uniform, dead black, reflecting no light whatsoever. It is an eerie feeling; almost like being in a total void. Sounds, likewise, seem to be absorbed by the surroundings. There are no echoes, as there should be inside a normal cave.
Against this background of unrelieved black, the furnishings of the room stand out in stark contrast. Numerous small cages with stout iron bars, form one end of the room. The occupants should have long-ago turned to dust and bone. However, these look as if they had been mummified in some manner to preserve the last moments their agony. I say 'agony', because each of these creatures has a look of intense pain, mixed with abject terror, on whatever might pass for a face. Each was once a human, but each has been distorted in some grotesque manner. An elderly woman with a head swollen to five times it's normal size, though her face seems somehow shrunken. She was trying to hold her head up with both hands when she died. A man with a similarly swollen body, arms and legs shrunken and dislocated such that he looks like a pregnant tick. Another has great chitinous claws, much like a lobster, in place of hands. Other cages hold animals and birds with similar deformations. I cannot fathom what kind of mind would create such monstrosities, nor what purpose they might serve.
Along the far wall are various implements of torture, such as might be found in a castle dungeon in the midst of the dark ages. Bits of flesh still cling to some of the apparatus. The center of the room is dominated by a squared-off block of black stone, the same material as the room, itself. The entire surface is covered with strange designs, runes and mystic symbols. The stub of a black candle marks each end of the block, and a manuscript lies open between them. Not surprisingly, it is written in the same hand as the Fenririan Manuscript. I glance at the open pages, which seem to be a spell for summoning a particularly nasty type of demon. I turn a few pages and find a supplication to someone (or something) called Bal-nur-agoth. I close the volume and carry it to a place near the entrance hole.
While I have been otherwise occupied, Dierna has been taking an inventory of the other side of the room. "What have you found in your explorations?" I ask.
"Potions and ingredients, mostly all dried up," she replies. "I could identify some of the herbs, but most have labels in the Furthark Runes. Come see if you think there is anything of use, either to us, or to a dark wizard."
I walk over to where she stands and run my eyes along the rows of jars and flasks. I pull a number of them from the shelves and set them to one side. "Blood of Sphinx, Nightstalker scales, Basilisk venom... these should all be destroyed. Though exceedingly rare, they are used only in compounding deadly poisons."
"I found these scrolls tucked in a cubby-hole, down at the end," she says, pointing to a pile of tightly-rolled cylinders of vellum.
I unroll these, one at a time, just enough to read the title or introductory remarks. "Potion of Never-Ending Pain, Elixir of Agony, Draught of Despair..." I shake my head in disgust, and add these scrolls to the heap of material to be removed. "What sort of monster was this Magnus of the Norsk?"
Together, we explore the remaining end of the room. More shelves and tables with a number of scrolls, bound volumes and manuscripts. A writing desk with a variety of black feathers and an assortment of inkpots. "It seems our friend was rather fond of raven quills," I tell her. I glance through the volumes, but find nothing worse than what we have already discovered. Again, I shake my head. "I can't get past the feeling that we're missing something here. Magnus was reputed to be the greatest evil mage of his time. And yet, there is nothing here that would indicate his brilliance... or, darkness, if you will. There must be more here, than meets the eye. Perhaps, some hidden place, where he has stored his REAL works." We both set to work, exploring every inch of the walls, checking the benches and tables for hidden compartments and the like. I am about to admit defeat when Dierna calls out...
Location Unknown: Examination
Author: Voldemort
Date: 02-12-04 18:19
"The store room is filled with ingredients. You may use any of them you need. If anything is lacking then I will see that it is found for you."
"Thank you my lord." Severus says, bowing again.
"This had better be real, Severus. This is your final chance. All my Death Eaters are waiting for a chance to give you what you deserve."
In response several Death Eaters nod, grinning with delight at the though. Severus better remember that he is not among friends here. He has a long way to go in order to get that status back again.
"I want you to remain here, Severus. Where you can be supervised while brewing this potion. And perhaps even longer, until I can trust you out of my sight again."
Alchemy 101
Author: Bellatrix Lestrange
Date: 02-12-04 19:15
Bellatrix paced backwards and forwards. Nathaniel Hawkins's study was warm and the fire still burned merrily away, but she was loosing patience. By the Dark Lord, how long would it take the man to find a simple binding spell?
"You know if you keep pacing like that it only serves to distract me," drawled Nathaniel, looking up. "Get yourself another drink if you like."
Bellatrix laughed. "So, the puppy has a tongue after all. I was beginning to loose hope in you for a bit there. I couldn't see how my husband would be friends with a scared little boy." She watched as Nathaniel gritted his teeth. Men were so easy to manipulate.
"Isn't that one of those confounded muggle chess sets?" she asked, pointing quickly to a page.
"Yes, I believe it is. However, we are not here for that," Nathaniel replied, turning the page rapidly. "Here we are. It would help me more if you could tell me the name of the person the spell was intended for."
Bellatrix thought for a moment. The man knew his stuff and Rodolphus wouldn't have sent her here if he didn't trust him. "Her name is Dierna ni Ciaran."
"Ah," began Nathaniel. He closed the book and looked to the shelf, selecting another. "This calls for more extreme measures I think."
Bellatrix poured herself another scotch, enjoying the flavor. At one point she walked over, laying one hand on Nathaniel's shoulder. She felt his shoulders bunch at the contact as if his skin was crawling. She smiled to herself, looking at the book. This was older and of a decidedly less savory feel. She could feel the coldness coming off it.
"Here we are. This spell is a mixture of alchemy and spell craft. In fact I think its origins must be Norse. It calls on the various elements of tree magic, yet also uses other less…savory aspects." He began to write down some of the words on a piece of parchment.
After a few moments Bellatrix lost interest and went to stand by the fire. She sipped her drink, noticing once again the scar on her hand from her dealings with ni Ciaran.
"I'm done. Tell me what you think." Nathaniel stood up and handed Bellatrix the paper.
She perused the document, careful not to touch the wet ink. "Where am I supposed to find corvus caedes? What is that? And this – assus germinus?"
Nathaniel sighed. "The first is raven's blood, and the second you won't find anywhere. Except…I know someone who might have it, or who could get it. Should I introduce you?"
"Yes. I need this done as soon as possible."
"Then we had better get moving. I will owl my good friend Merdroit and then we can take a trip." Nathaniel sized Bellatrix up. "Are you up to traveling quite a distance?"
Bellatrix felt one of her moods coming on. How dare the man think she wasn't able to travel? Did he think she was injured or something?
"Just set it up Nathaniel. And don't make me wait too long," she snapped.
"Of course, how could I be so silly?" he muttered.
Bellatrix put her glass down and pulled on her cloak. "I thank you for the help," she said. With a quick nod in Nathaniel's direction she disapparated, leaving the room quiet once more.
Immovable Object
Author: Dierna ní Cíaran
Date: 02-12-04 19:18
I'd always been good at finding hidden rooms. That one reason why I'd never purchased a Mirwall. I just run my hands along the wall, intuitively feeling differences. This time it was more difficult. The pain of the victims is crying at me, making my eyes tear. I want desperately to run away and leave this place behind me. But I know I can't. I set my determination to finding the hidden vault.
And then I do. The wall nearly burns my hand and I pull it back with a cry. "Nevvyn! Anseo! Anois!"
He comes running over. "Did you find it?"
"Yes. It's here." I Indicate the pitch black wall with my lit wand. "We just have to figure out how to open it."
Nevvyn and I spend at least five minutes trying to destroy the wall with every possible spell we know. But it remains the same, impenetrable, impervious to our efforts. That's when the thought occurs to me.
"I know what we are doing wrong." I say looking at the wall "We are using the spells we know to open the door. We need to use the spells Magus would use. Dark, black evil magic." I feel tainted by the thought. Voldemort has powers I will never have. My answer to that was always the same. You were the one who told me never to confuse ability with desire, Olamh. Just because you choose not to use the dark magic doesn't mean you cannot use it.
"We need to destroy the wall, but not with the usual array of spells. We need to destroy it with something dark and vile. Something like what Magnus would use."
Re: Captain Electron *swoon*
Author: Tranquillina Aemilius
Date: 02-12-04 20:06
Tranquillina watched with amusement as Roane pulled out an impressive collection of Captain Electron photos.
"Is it possible," Tranquillina piped up, briefly interrupting Roane, "That you like Captain Electron?"
Roane simply shot Tranquillina a playful glare before continuing with, "And this is him on tour.... and this is...."
Taking Stock
Author: Severus Snape
Date: 02-12-04 22:23
If Voldemort planned on keeping Severus at the lair then there was little Snape could do about it. He had hoped, of course, that if Voldemort accepted his return he could report back to Dumbledore that very night, but the looming presence of impending death and/or torture had been much more realistic. Potions class at Hogwarts would go on with or without Snape as the instructor.
Wormtail gestured with his silver arm to the store room, and Snape, sweeping one last glance around the room, walked into the next chamber. Crabbe and Goyle followed and stood in the doorway with arms folded across their broad chests. It was remarkable how similar they were to their two bone-head sons.
Snape approached a cabinet in the room and reached for the knobs with both hands, pulling the doors open with one swift movement. He rummaged through its contents, surprised to see most of the ingredients he needed for the potion he had in mind. It was one he had memorized from the true book, an evil concoction but one not sinister enough to cause total mayhem.
A crate of unsorted material rested at the foot of a wooden table, and Snape went to it and knelt on the floor beside it. He poked around its contents and retrieved a few items, intrigued by the material but disappointed that none of it would be useful for his demonstration.
Snape righted himself and returned to the cabinet, where he drew a few vials and bottles from the shelves and placed them on the table next to the crate. He walked across the chamber and pulled a mid-size cauldron to arm's-length from the table and found a few other items before making a mental check list of the ingredients.
Crushed Scarab Beetles
Ground Kelpie Teeth
Knotgrass
Runespoor Venom
Leech Juice
Powdered Unicorn Horn
Salamander Eggs
These materials Voldemort had on hand but Snape needed a few other things to complete the potion. He sighed inwardly and cast a hesitant glance at Crabbe and Goyle, who looked back dumbly.
"I'm missing a few things," Snape said, hoping they would send someone to bring him the remaining ingredients. "I need one bottle of tuberworms and a box of malacaw shells. These are common enough and can be found at the Apothecary in London. The final ingredient I am requesting is one not so easy to come by. But perhaps one of the shops in Knockturn Alley will have it in stock. I need a jar of pickled human brain. Can you see that someone gets these things for me?"
Crabbe and Goyle exchanged looks. Snape rolled his eyes inwardly and quickly scribbled the missing ingredients onto a slip of parchment and crossed the room to give it to Goyle. "See that someone gets these things, if you please."
Goyle backed out of the room and Snape returned to the table, preparing the existing ingredients and the necessary supplies. When he removed his wand from the folds of his robes to clean the cauldron, Crabbe flinched, but eased slightly when he observed Snape's intentions. As Snape waited for the other ingredients to arrive, he hoped his potion would be successful...
Experiment in Terror
Author: Nevvyn
Date: 02-13-04 11:47
Dierna calls out that she has found something, and I rush over. A square section of the wall, approximately one foot on a side, is somehow subtly different. Touching the wall in any other part of the chamber, one feels a cold deadness. Here, the wall seems almost alive! For some time, we try different forms of energy… the cold of the outer wastes… the heat of the fires of hell… all have the same effect. The wall simply absorbs the energy, as it does the light. Vanishing spells and banishing spells, unlocking charms and various other conjurations are tried.
Verging on exhaustion, I turn to Dierna, who is in the same condition. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that wall is laughing at us and our feeble attempts. It somehow seems almost sentient… almost alive." I sit down on a handy stool and cradle my head in my hands, trying to think of a different approach. I open my eyes with a start. "Dierna?" I ask. "Have you the strength to anchor me? I need to take a walk between worlds, but don't wish to anchor myself to this place."
"I don't think I do!" she replies. "That wall seems to be sucking the life out of me."
For the second time in as many minutes, I have another bright idea… quite a rarity for me. I rummage in the bottom of my pack and pull forth one of the bottles I had filled at the basin. I take an experimental sip, letting a few drops of the liquid roll around on my tongue. I feel the energy surge back into me. I pass the flask to Dierna with cautionary instructions. "Just the smallest sip is all you need." The smile on her face tells me all I need to know. I retrieve the flask and wrap it safely, returning it to he pack.
With newfound confidence, she places a hand on my shoulder and I close my eyes. Relax! Calm and center! I tell myself. Soon, the walls around me fade to nothingness. Dierna is there, glowing like a bright, blue-white diamond. And, there is something beyond her, another life-spark. But this one is dark… blacker than anything I have ever experienced. I move closer and discern the vague outline of a square, surrounding the shard of utter blackness. Indeed, it is a demon, but from a dimension far beyond where I have ever traveled. And indeed, it does seem to be laughing at our puny efforts… or whatever passes for laughter in it's home. So foreign it is to anything I have ever experienced, that there is no chance of communication. However, I can see clearly now, that it is bound to the stone of this cavern. Bound with the last bits of the will of what once was Magnus of the Norsk. I feel also, that it hungers for release. But how to accomplish that, with Magnus himself gone for centuries?
I slide my essence back into my own body, opening my eyes to find Dierna staring as me with anxiety. "You started to go 'cold' on me!" she exclaims. "Where did you go, and what happened?"
I explain my findings and suppositions and, together, we try to think of a way to free this entity. "What we need is Magnus. The binding spells are keyed to his essence and I know of only way of getting past that. I do not want to use it, but difficult problems call for strong measures." I glance around the cavern, assessing the availability of the supplies I will need. "Dierna… I am about to do something you will not like. However, I will need your help.
I explain my plan to her and she shudders at the thought. Shaking off the horror of what I am about to do, I clear off one of the tables and begin to assemble the things I will need. The cell doors are sprung and we collect most of the remains of the malformed man, leaving his strange arms behind. The arms are taken from the poor woman, and these things are laid out in proper order on the table. I select several of the dried up potions and ingredients, and add a few drops of the Elixir vitae to each, restoring them to full potency. "Now, we need a bit of something that was a personal part of Magnus, himself," I tell Dierna. "A few hairs, a broken fingernail… that sort of thing." Together, we search the area around the desk, finding six long white hairs. There appears to be a drop of dried blood on a penknife, but I dare not risk that. When all is ready, I brew the several required potions and begin to prepare for the incantation.
Dierna watches with revulsion and finally finds the courage to ask, "Where did you learn such a thing as this?"
"It is one of the many nasty things from the Fenririan Manuscript," I tell her. "And, it is not the worst, by any means. I am thinking I will have Professor Dumbledore modify my memories to clear them of these spells, when we return. It is not good to have such stuff rattling around in ones head." With that said, I set to work in earnest.
Making some arcane symbols over the reassembled corpse, I intone, "Vade contro nomi orismus!" I pry the jaws apart and pour one of the potions down the throat. "Ab ars ad vivum!" I say, "From death, to the life". "Fiat experimentum in corpore vili!" I prick my finger and allow three drops of my own precious blood to fall upon the chest of the simulacrum. There is movement… a slight twitching of the fingers… the chest heaves, taking in air. I pour some of the second potion on the head of this creature, and continue down the length of the body. "Resurgam!" I call out in a hollow voice. The eyes fly open and dart around. "Absit invidia!" I command, "Let there be no ill will!" "Aequam servare mentum! "Be of calm mind!" Over the next several minutes, I gradually ease the creature to a sitting position, and finally get it standing upright.
With my wand, I trace the runes for Magnus' name in the air before the creature. Mannaz… Ansuz… Gebo… Nauthiz… Uruz… Sowulo! The red-glowing shapes hang in mid-air, slowly fading. "Ecce signum!" "Behold the sign!" It quails before the name of the wizard. I place the silvery hairs upon its head and again trace the name-runes, this time across the forehead and down the chest. The hair takes root and begins to grow. Withered flesh becomes smooth again. The creature takes on the appearance of… no… is becoming… Magnus. Or, at least, a shadow of Magnus.
I feel myself tiring after all my magical exertions and take another quick sip of the restorative draught. I pass the bottle to Dierna, who has been watching with horror, but keeping her wand at the ready. She takes a drop or two, never taking her eyes off the creature.
Gently, I guide it to the place in the wall. "Open the gate!" I command. "And release the keeper of the gate, that it may return from whence it came!" Slowly, the gnarled hands come up and reach out to touch the square. One hand remains in contact with the demon-gate-door, while the traces a series of mystic figures on the surface. There is a sound which is not a sound, and a blast of icy air. The creature is impelled back into me. When I look again at the wall, there is a dark recess where the door had been. I am anxious to see the contents, but I have business to finish here, first.
The creature looks at me with hope of release. I step back and point my wand. "Fiat finite nihilus! In aeternum!" A faint smile creases the corners of the ancient mouth. My simulacrum begins to crumble in upon itself. Within moments, there is nothing left but a pile of dust and six silvery hairs. Turning to Dierna, I say in a weary voice, "Exitus acta probat!" "The end justifies the deed!" "Shall we have a look at what we have gone to all this work for?"
Within the recess, lies a single, very ordinary-looking scroll. I reach in to fetch it, but it tries to wriggle and squirm from my grasp. At the same time, I am hit with another blast of the agonizing cold. I jerk back my hand to find it covered with ice. The scroll is likewise frozen stiff. Quickly, I wrap the thing in three layers of finest silk and stuff it in my pack. As I straighten, the floor seems to shift and I come near to losing my balance. Dierna points to the walls, which are beginning to shimmer. "I fear we've triggered some kind of protective spell. Perhaps I should have had the creature do that last part of the job, as well." By now, the bottles on the shelves are beginning to rattle together. There is a low-pitched vibration in everything about us. "Quickly," I shout over the rising noise. "Grab what you can and lets get out of here!" I tuck a few of the volumes and scrolls into my robes, grab my pack, and start for the ladder…
