Anitra's Dance
Anitra's Fondest Wish
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style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Disclaimers: style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Harry Potetr and his universe belongs to J.K.
Rowling. have we heard this before? Anitra belongs to me.
style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>A/N:style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> We’re
getting awfully close here. Thank you for staying with me so far.
style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>L’Omme qui ritstyle='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> that is mentioned in the text is a book by
Victor Hugo about a boy who is mutilated to bear an eternal grin: a scar from
ear to ear, running over his mouth. Think ‘The Joker’. I warmly recommend that
book. I’m sure it’s been translated into English, and it’s an absolute ‘must’
for angst-lovers.
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style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Anitra’s Fondest Wish
“It is
time.”
The voice
that uttered the words was trembling. Not with apprehension, not with fear – it
trembled with joyous anticipation. A madness lurked behind every syllable,
which was so evident from the insane glint in the red eyes.
Even the
Death Eaters shivered imperceptably at the intense evil in front of them.
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“You will
not make a move before I give you the signal. Months of careful planning shall
not be overthrown due to your foolish mistakes. Is that clear?”
“It is
clear, Master.” The hovering black shapes spoke in one tongue, answering to one
Master, one Lord.
And a cold
wind sang through the air with the ominous promise of doom.
It was
time.
*
Harry and
Ron were dumfounded. Anitra had been perfectly right. In front of them was a
mirror; and not just any mirror.
“It’s the
Mirror of Erised,” awed Ron, “what is it doing here? Didn’t Dumbledore tell us
it had been stolen?”
“Yes,”
Harry said slowly, “from the Ministry of Magic – Fudge’s office.”
They had
all stopped in their tracks. Anitra was taking her cue from her friends, her
wise caution opted by a suspicion that this mirror, like any other object of
this magical world, was not what it seemed.
“So this is
the famous mirror,” she said calmly. “What’s so hot about it?”
“Don’t
touch it!” Harry said warningly, “It being stolen from the Ministry was not
good, but it being here is even worse.”
“I gathered
as much. What do we do now?”
“Dumbledore
must know. Ron, you take the Cloak and run back to the school. The Headmaster
must know about this as soon as possible.”
“Shouldn’t
Anitra go? She would be safer at the school,” Ron argued.
“Only if
you went with her. I don’t want her to walk the distance alone.”
“I’m not
leaving you,” Anitra said firmly.
Ron
grumbled. Dealing with a stubborn Harry was hard enough – but the both of
them.... murder!
The
redheaded boy was soon scooting back, tracing the way they came, half stumbling
in the wilderness as the moon still hadn’t become more generous with its light.
“What do you
suppose this is about?” the golden-eyed girl asked her boyfriend.
“I don’t
know. But you can be sure the mirror is here for a reason.”
“And what
would that be?”
“I don’t
know.”
“Speculate.”
Harry
shrugged. Anitra was slowly approaching the mirror, but still remained at a
respectful distance.
“Perhaps it
was put here to corrupt the students. Dumbledore told me men have been known to
have wasted away in front of it, forfeiting their life for one happy desire.”
“What does
that mean?”
He turned
his bright green eyes at her, a sharp glance that followed her every move.
“If you
look into it, it will show you your fondest wish. If you have a particular
overpowering dream of your life, the mirror will satisfy it for you. It draws
you to it and you invariably stay, mesmerised by what you see.”
“No shit,”
she murmured, getting closer. What would be her fondest wish? Knowing her name,
as Harry suggested? It would seem logical. Then why was it that she felt she
had another, much more deeply rooted ‘fondest wish’ that she somehow knew would
override the former?
Then
suddenly she understood how the mirror could help her.
“Harry,” Harry “If this “Yea...” “Yes?” “Unless it Anitra Harry had “Well,” he “It could “It could “What is “An object “In other “Huh?” “Never Harry cast He thought “I don’t Of course, This was Also... he * In Ron’s Of course, As it was, Almost as “... and “Someone to Somewhat “You are Ron’s mouth “How-how-how...???” “How did I “It is “Wicked,” “I am Ron turned “I have * Draco And if he Then maybe <&nbs * “Well?” Harry was But the ... and someone A young “ “Anitra? Do Anitra But Harry This, she But how And that’s Harry saw The * The tawny “I guess “You’re “Can we They both “Welcome to The voice Harry’s “No more of He cackled, “Um... you’re The shape And yet... “Is it He was “Don’t – With a Anitra, “So... your “My dear,” TBC Sorry for keeping
she said, carefully keeping the eagerness out of her voice. It was important to
keep a cool head. “Do you realise how this can help me? Even if remembering my
identity isn’t my fondest wish deep down?”
frowned. “What do you mean? How?”
mirror is capable of looking into the farthest and most forgotten corners of my
mind, it will see a desire that I’m not even aware of. Seeing that desire might
provoke and stimulate my memory.”
Harry said slowly, “you’re right... unless...”
is like the Room of Requirement – it sees you only as you are *now*.”
contemplated it, but then shook her head gently. “That would be illogical – from
the facts you have told me about the mirror.”
to agree with her – even if he wouldn’t have put it quite like that.
said, moving closer to her, “whatever we do, we shouldn’t touch it.”
be charmed, or sum’thin’?”
be a portkey.”
that?”
that will bring you to another place if you touch it.”
words: Beam me up, Scotty?”
Harry looked at her with blank eyes. The Dursleys had never let him watch tv
series.
mind. But it would be okay to look into it?”
his mind back to the time when he had looked into it and suddenly had acquired
the Philosopher’s Stone. What if it was something like that? What if they would
suddenly find themselves with a bomb in their hands? He shook his head to clear
it of that silly thought. After all, her fondest wish could hardly be owning a live
bomb.
it through, from all the angles he could think of, and finally shook his head
while Anitra was looking at him patiently and intently.
think we risk anything from just looking,” he slowly concluded.
he knew that the safest thing would be to wait for Professor Dumbledore, but he
also knew that the Headmaster probably would take away the mirror and forbid anyone
to look into it.
Anitra’s one – and perhaps only – chance of getting a hint about her identity. Who
was he to begrudge her that?
rather curious.
opinion, dodging Filch, bypassing Snape and jumping Mrs Norris was nothing
short of a piece of art. Hermione had been confused to see only her boyfriend
return when he was revealed underneath the Cloak, but she soon recovered enough
to signal an already poor exhausted Neville to start running again. Even so Ron
nearly bumped into Filch’s unpleasant cat, who was maliciously able to see
round corners.
it was all academic, as Ron would soon be disclosing everything to Professor
Dumbledore, who would then know that they had breached every school rule in the
book. On the other hand – they hade the that before, and still they remained at
Hogwarts. Ron very much suspected Harry’s unique background to be the cause of
this surprisingly lenient attitude.
the threat of Filch and Snape was always tangible and very much real, as these
two did their best to circumvent the Headmaster and get Harry and all his
allies expelled from the revered old school.
breathless as Neville, whom he could still hear running for his dear life on
first floor, Ron reached the not-so-secret-anymore entrance to Dumbledore’s
office. To his surprise, it opened even before he could utter the password. The
young man hurried up the stairs to find a very anxious Albus Dumbledore in
close conversation with his portraits.
find Lupin; I’m sure he’s still at Grimmauld.”
see you, Dumbo,” the portrait said before she hastened to carry out his
request.
shaken from hearing the Headmaster’s pet name, Ron opened his mouth, but
emitted no words. “Dumbo” helped him.
here to tell me that you have found the Mirror of Erised and that Harry and
Anitra are guiding it?”
that had been opened prior to this outrageous statement now fell down on his
feet with a loud thud, a hazard to traffic.
know?” The old wizard was busying himself while he filled the young Weasley in.
He was donning a long, dark cloak, sheathing his powerful wand and collecting
several pouches with enigmatic powders.
simple. I have been keeping a close eye on our newcomer from the very second
she arrived. The portraits, Nearly Headless Nick and Moaning Myrna have been
able to follow her round almost everywhere. It was Sir Nick who informed me
that the three of you were on your way to explore the flashes from the Hogwarts
border, and it was Myrna who told me that you were passing the lake.”
Ron said weakly.
ready, Headmaster.”
on his heel at the sound of a new voice behind him and made contact with the
dark, burning eyes of Severus Snape. Professor Snape, too, was sporting a dark
cloak and was armed with his wand, drawn and ready to ‘fire’.
alerted the rest of the members of the Order of the Phoenix,” Dumbledore said,
slightly out of breath. “We must hurry. I have a feeling something terrible is
about to happen.”
Malfoy sat in his bed, alerted by instinct and subtle sounds, unfamiliar to the
old stones of Hogwarts. Something heavy was weighing down the pure-blooded
boy’s chest, and he needed to be free of it. More sounds followed. Such an
uncommon event could mean only one thing: You-Know-Who was at it again. The
wizard his father called the Dark Lord.
was about.
his father was too.
looking at Anitra. She was standing right in front of the mirror, without
touching it, as Harry had cautioned her. It was a beautiful mirror. Ancient
with handsome decor, yet a completely unspoiled piece of glass with a smooth
surface was attached to the wooden frame so faultlessly that one would never
have guessed its age. The night around her was restless; owls were hooting,
rodents were rustling, and in the distance a lone wolf was howling. The perfect
charicature of a mystical, magical and ominous night. It would not have worried
Anitra had it not been for the fact that the nature of the night had changed so
abruptly – as per the second she had looked into the mirror. Before that very
moment, the night had been still, calm and quiet.
mirror drew her like a magnet. She was positioned directly in front of it.
Slowly she raised her eyes and looked...
saw...
else than herself. Someone, she knew with a painful pang to the heart, who was
the real
Anitra.
blonde child with bright blue eyes and fragile features. The smile was
infectuous and the skinny arms were reached out to Anitra. The wind was toying
with the thin blonde hair and the clothes were wet.
even feel the hand that reached for hers.
you see yourself? Do you remember?”
turned a tear streaked face to the young wizard. Didn’t he see? Didn’t he know?
couldn’t see what she saw. He saw only her and the moonlight.
knew, was her fondest wish. Not knowledge of her true identity – but the
revival of Anitra. And in a way, she had pursued just that even when she didn’t
know what she was doing – by taking her name. The agony was unbelievable. It
went straight to the heart and squeezed her chest so hard that she wished she
would just faint right there and then. Was
she my daughter? Only the loss of a child can hurt like this. This is my
fondest wish – my daughter back and alive.
could it be that she was so young and nonetheless had a daughter? Anitra shook
her head. So much still didn’t make sense.
when she saw it.
it at the same time.
background in the mirror with the moon –
haired girl and the green-eyed young man slowly revolved round the spot where
they were standing. The surroundings were completely different. Instead of
landscape with hills, lakes and a dark forest and tall trees, they were
standing in a moor-like landscape. Very
much like Kent. Anitra understood nothing – rather like the feeling she had
been harbouring from the very first moment she had come to at Hogwarts. Harry’s
mind was a jumble: Oh, no! I did it
again! It was a portkey – only not by touch! By eye contact. Was it Voldemort?
Where’s my luck now? Cedric died! She can’t die! I forbid it! Oh, shit – the
mirror was a portkey!
we’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto?”
right about that!” Harry’s voice betrayed his fear, and Anitra looked at him in
concern. If he didn’t know what to do, then what?
return by looking in the mirror again?”
turned, but saw only the backside of the mirror. Could it be turned? Or perhaps
it simply wasn’t two-ways?
Dymchurch.”
was cold. So cold that Anitra felt as if she would never get warm again.
wand was raised in a nanosecond, but in a nanosecond too late. The figure in
front of them immediately commanded ‘Accio’ and the wand flew out of the young
man’s hand.
that,” the voice continued, “I have come to respect your wand, Harry Potter,
birds of a feather, you know.”
and it was a while before Anitra understood that he was actually laughing.
Harry was shaking. Shaking with an intense mixture of bottomless rage and fear.
Anitra was still not reacting emotionally, not knowing what to fear.
Voldie, right?”
stiffened. “Voldemort!” he corrected
her with a sneer and a somewhat miffed expression. The sneer went well with the
snake-like profile, Anitra decided. So this was the honest-to-god-awful wizard,
Hell’s spawn, whose only joy in this world appeared to be torturing young boys
and generally initiate the Apocalypse? Unpleasant sort.
there was something familiar about him. She saw him grimace. Oh! It was a
smile. Not easy to tell with this type.
coming back to you, my dear?”
looking directly at her.
you – touch her,” Harry snarled. Voldemort smiled even wider.
the sight.
sickening sound the Dark Lord snapped Harry’s wand in two. The young wizard
almost fainted at the feeling of helplessness that swept over him. It was over!
Without his wand, he was nothing.
however, remained unimpressed. She didn’t know better.
type is always keen to explain their brilliant plans to their victims before
they dispose of them... tell me, then – did you do this amnesia stuff to me?”
he said and approached, “you are my work, my piece of art, my offspring – my
perfect spy and ally. I thank you for bringing Harry Potter to me.”
the chapter so short – but I just couldn’t resist
this cliffhanger. ;-) Stand by for a
continuation soon. I’m not completely inhuman.
<