Coral

All of her days have gone soft and cloudy, all of her dreams have gone dry.

All of her nights have gone sad and shady, She's getting ready to fly.

Fly away, fly away, fly away.



Life in the city can make you crazy for sounds of the sand and the sea.

Life in a high-rise can make you hungry for things that you can't even see.

Fly away, fly away, fly away.



In this whole world there's nobody as lonely as she,

there's nowhere to go and there's nowhere that she'd rather be.

She's looking for lovers and children playing, she's looking for signs of the spring.

She listens for laughter and sounds of dancing, she listens for any old thing.

Fly away, fly away, fly away .











In a small interrogation room:







" Demogene! Demogene Rookwood?"



" Yes." the woman slurred. A thin line of saliva trickled from the corner of her mouth.



" We gave her the proper dosage of Veritaserum, but in combination with that superb Polyjuice potion, it might have been a bit strong." a man apologized to Merle.



" Demogene, did you attack Amanda Ollivander this morning?"



" Yes." she answered after a pause.



" Disguised as Polly Rafferty?"



" Yes."



" Why?"



" Because I knew she would be alone. Her husband was buying wand supplies, and Polly...would be gone. " Demogene giggled.



From her seat, Eloise winced at the laugh. She was still quite stunned. After Demogene had been identified, Eloise had experienced a brief moment of hysterical disbelief. Something was wrong...she tried to tell them. It couldn't be Demogene, there simply must be a mistake.



Demogene could not perfect a simple sticking charm; she was weak and harmless. Couldn't they see that? Merle, the Inquisitor, had finally seated her, and ordered a cup of tea to help calm her. Now, Eloise sat, empty cup in one hand, her quivering cigarette holder in the other.



" Why did you attack Amanda?" Merle persisted.



" Because she was to be alone! I've said that!" Demogene tried to sit forward, frowning at the others.



" Where is Polly?" Merle tried instead.



" I don't know." Demogene answered.



" You have to have some idea. What did you use to make the Polyjuice potion? Polly's hair?"



" Yes."



" When did you acquire her hair?"



" The day before Christmas. "



" The day before Christmas. How?"



" I was at Amanda's house, with Aunt Eloise. We brought gifts. I yanked out several of Polly's hair when she passed me going to the kitchen."



" Didn't she notice?"



" Yes. "



" Why didn't she say something? "



" I always pulled her hair. She used to wear a cap when she worked for Aunt Winter, to hide her hair from Agnes and myself. Didn't she Aunt Eloise? I say, didn't she, Aunt Eloise."



Merle shot Eloise a glance, warning her not to answer. Eloise knew that she could not answer, even if she had wanted to.



" I ask again, where is Polly Rafferty?"



" I don't know." Demogene insisted." The ropes hurt...can't I have them loosened? I...I think I am about to faint."



" When was the last time you saw her?"



" Who?"



" Polly Rafferty. When was the last time you saw Polly?"



" This morning, as she was walking to the Disapparation point."



" Did you speak with her?"



" Yes. I asked her if Amanda was alone."



" What did she say?"



" She said yes."



" Then what happened?"



" She seemed nervous, and was going to follow me to the house."



" And then?"



" I hexed her. " Demogene's voice was completely emotionless.



" You hexed her. Did you kill her?"



" I don't think so."



" Did you use an unforgivable curse?" a signal was given to a young page to fetch the wand-tester.



" No. I petrified her. Petrificus Totalus...that is what I used."



" Can you tell us where this happened?"



" Yes."



" Then you can tell us where Polly is?"



" No. "



Why not?"



" Because I pushed her into the river. " Demogene smiled. " I don't know how far she has gotten yet! Quite some ways, I imagine."



One of the Aurors sent a message to have the river searched.



" Why did you hex Polly?"



" Because she would have followed me back and ruined everything."



" Did you use your wand to hex Polly?"



" Yes."



" Did you use your wand to hex Amanda?"



Edward shook his head to himself, even as Demogene answered. Maple, thirteen inches, supple. He thought automatically.



" No. I used Polly's."



Fifteen inches, willow, dragon string, whippy...wonderful for charms.



" Where is your wand?"



" Hidden."



" Where?"



" In the one of Amanda's rose bushes."



Another page was dispatched at once.



" Why did you want to attack Amanda ?"



Demogene seemed to be struggling with this. Her face contorted into an ugly mask, and she gnashed her teeth, trying to escape the bonds.



" I repeat, why did you want to attack Amanda?"



" I hate her!" she burst out. " I hate her, and I wanted to kill her! Did she die?"

" Why do you hate her?" Merle ignored the question.



" She was going to have babies..." Demogene yelled. " I can't have BABIES. Not ever.Don't you understand that? Ever! And no one wanted to marry me. I couldn't even be sold to a Pureblood Wizard! I hate you all!" And...I'll tell you what she did!" Demogene stated. " I'll tell you what Amanda did!"



The Inquisitor looked around as though not quite sure what to think.



" She stole my baby."



A static moment of silence, during which the magic thrum of the silencing and restraint spells could be heard, passed without a single breath taken or eye blinked for fear of missing something vitally important.



When Demogene did not seem inclined to explain herself further, Mme. Merle gave a discreet cough, and shuffled the papers before her.



" Tell me about your stolen baby."



" She stole my baby. Agnes told me she was lost. I left her sleeping in the alcove on day, in the sunlight. She had just eaten, and was very fussy. And then...I don't recall what happened, only that Agnes later said she was lost that day. But she wasn't! I found her in Amanda's house, hidden away!"



Eloise's cigarette ash dropped un-heeded on her shoe, as she watched Demogene with open-mouthed shock.



" Oh, Demogene...over a china doll?" she blurted.



Merle took off her glasses, and rubbed her face.



" Was the baby a doll?"



" Yes." again, Demogene struggled against the truth serum, clearly not wanting to admit the truth. The word sounded more like a sob.



" Was it your doll?"



" Yes. Stella gave it to me."



" Who is Stella?"



" My cousin...Amanda's mother. She gave it to me, but they took it back."



" Did you attack Amanda Ollivander just because she stole a doll?"



" She isn't just a doll!" Demogene shouted. " She was my little girl!"



She began writhing in the magical bonds again.



With a glance at Edward, who nodded imperceptibly, Merle began a new series of questions.

" Demogene, did you give your cousin any drugs in November of last year, for the purpose of harming her or her unborn child?"



" Yes." Demogene answered blithely.



Edward closed his eyes.



" How was this done?"



" That was so clever of me! " she drew her elbows tight against her sides, as though hugging herself. " I arranged for a woman selling cakes to sell Amanda a cake laced with certain poisons. She was reluctant at first, but I incorporated a little persuasion. She failed me three times, however, so I made Polly give it to her. "



" Made Polly? Did you simply tell her to, or did you use a spell?"



" Told her at first...threatened. She said that she was going to turn me in, so I had to Obliviate her, then use a spell. I placed the mixture in Amanda's breakfast tray and forced Polly to send it up. Then, another simple memory charm to help her forget. Little did I know that the peddler woman was going to be successful too, that day!"



" What do you mean?"



" Amanda bought three cakes from that woman. Three! Can you imagine? Only two were poisoned though. Not that it mattered. She had consumed a full dose that morning."



Eloise and Edward exchanged glances. So...it was no wonder Amanda had nearly died, a triple dose! Eloise thought of how guilty Amanda had felt after they told her she had ingested something harmful. Even if she could have remembered the cakes, even if she had not eaten them, it would not have mattered. The poison had long been working in her system.



" What form was the poison in; pill, powder...liquid?"



" Powder."



" What were the ingredients."



" I don't know the ingredients."



" Didn't you make the powder?"



" No, someone gave it to me."



" Who gave it to you?"



" I don't know. It was sent anonymously, by someone who said they understood how I felt."



" By owl?"



" Yes."



" Did they say this on a note?"



Yes."



" Do you have the note?"



" No, I burned it."



" Someone who understood how you felt. How you felt about what?"



Demogene rolled her head against her shoulder in a sort of half shrug.



" About everything. About babies. About Agnes."



" Who is Agnes?"



" My sister."



" How do you feel about Agnes?"



" I hate her."



" I see. Any specific reason why?"



" Yes. She won't let me do anything anymore. She says that I am crazy."



" Why does she think you are crazy?"



" Because she found out my secret. "



" What is your secret?"



" I killed my husband."



" What!" Eloise exclaimed, nearly dropping the tea cup. The Inquisitor gestured to her to be silent.



" You killed your husband. How, and when, did you do that?"



" I don't remember when it was. It was still cold. Maybe it was in February. I like the word February...don't you?" she gave a flirtatious smile to one of the Aurors.



" How did you kill your husband?"



" Hem-hem. I don't believe we are investigating the death of her husband; that is irrelevant information." Dolores Umbridge suggested.



" There is no irrelevant information in a murder interrogation! Now, Demogene, answer my question."



" What question?"



" How did you kill your husband? "



" Oh that question!' she giggled. " I weakened the supports on a house he was building. It took it a long time, and I don't know what he did to trigger it, but the entire structure came down...whoosh right on his head. I imagine he had time to see what hit him, though. Don't you think?"



" What was your motive for that particular homicide?"



" Particular what?"



" Murder! Why would you want to murder your husband?"



" Oh. I can't remember very well. Not now. I think it was because he didn't care that I couldn't have children. Yes...that's right." she sniffed, her eyes now awash with tears. She continued in a pitiful tone.



" He said it didn't matter, that he loved me just the same. He said that we could be happy. Happy! I ask you...all of you...what kind of person could say such a thing?"

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Fly Away-John Denver